Trigger of Change
by aiyumi
Summary: Legends 2. All Sera and Geetz want is to erase the carbons. During their stay in the Sulphur-Bottom, they are frequently visited by the boy which reminds them of that annoying Purifier Unit... Sometimes, a few small changes are all that is needed to trigger the bigger ones. Will they accomplish their mission, or will their views be changed?
1. The Coffee

A/n: I recently got back into Rockman Dash/Mega Man Legends and was inspired to write this. So, here we have... A Dash/Legends fic! (for those expecting an update to my Pokemon fic, sorry but you'll have to wait a bit more...)

The usual "gotchas": I'm bad with descriptions, English isn't my primary language, so there may (and will) be grammar errors, blah blah blah. And as is the case with all my stories, there will be a lot of emotional stuff.

Now with all that out of the way... Shall we continue? :P

* * *

Trigger of Change

Written by Aiyumi

Disclaimer: Rockman/Mega Man, as well as any other trademark that may be referenced in this fan fiction, are properties of their respective owners. I am just a fan and do not have any relations to said people/companies.

Chapter 1: the Coffee

Just a few moments of distraction, and the Flutter was on fire. Rock used the fire extinguisher and tried to put the fire out as quickly as possible.

"Now, only the kitchen to go..." He said after the fire from the living room was put out.

"Keee yaaaaah!" A screech came from the kitchen.

"Data!" Rock ran to the kitchen's door and opened it. He gasped when he got to the other side. The fire in there was much worse than in the other rooms. "Data! Where are you?"

"Hu hu hu hu." A creepy chuckle came from the middle of the flames.

"Who... Is there?"

The flames at the center suddenly disappeared, revealing a figure.

"It has been a long time, Rockman Trigger."

"Aaaaah!" Rock jumped in surprise. "J-Juno!?" _What's Juno doing inside the Flutter! ?_ He thought, eyes widened in shock.

"Hmm. Perhaps you are in search of this little backup device?" Juno was holding Data, who had burns all over his body.

"R-Rock... He-elp!" The small monkey spoke with difficulty, almost losing consciousness.

"Data!"

Juno spoke. "At that time, my mission failed, thanks to both of you."

"Let go of Data now!" Rock shouted in rage. "Or I will..." Rage turned into fear as he had the realization.

"You aren't even equipped with a weapon. What do you think you can do?"

Nothing. He could do nothing. Rock bit his lip. He only had the fire extinguisher on hand. Nothing that could be used for attacking.

Juno smirked. "Sorry to inform you, but this time, victory is mine! I shall terminate you, along with this storage device! Farewell, Rockman Trigger!"

Juno threw Data upwards, then shot a beam towards the remaining fire in the kitchen. It caused an explosion, which fully caught both Data and Rock.

"Aaaaah!" The boy screamed, with pain coursing through his body and smoke entering his eyes.

When he next came to his senses, he was lying somewhere, and Data came falling on top of him...

X:X:X:X:X

"The engines are ready," Roll said. "I'll prepare breakfast. Data, can you wake Rock up for me?"

"Kee kee kee!" The monkey robot nodded. He happily bounced towards Rock's room. The door was open, and he was able to enter without making noise. Data stopped near the bed. He decided to play a prank on Rock. He stayed quiet for a while, and as the boy didn't give any sign of waking up, Data pounced on him and shouted "Rooock! Good morniiiing!" But instead of scaring the boy, Data was the one to get a scare. "Wah! Aaaaah!" He shouted as Rock suddenly shot up from the bed, lifted him and squeezed him like there was no tomorrow.

"Data! Thank goodness...!"

"Aaaah! wh-what?" Data's eyes widened. He flailed in panic, trying to escape from Rock's vice grip.

"... Uh?" Rock blinked, coming to his senses and finally loosening his grip on Data. "Ah... Just a dream..."

"Phew..." Data jumped to the bed beside Rock. "What happened? A nightmare?"

"Yeah..." Rock rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"What was it about?"

He didn't want to remind Data of the fire accident. It didn't seem like it, but Rock knew that his friend was still very upset about it. "Don't worry." He shook his head. "It didn't even make that much sense, hahahaha!"

"Okay then!" More relieved, Data started doing his trademark dance. "Aaanyway, Roll said that she's making breakfast. After that we'll go take the first key to the Sulphur-Bottom."

"Alright, you can go first. I'm coming."

"Kee kee!" Data hoped out of the bed and went through the door.

* * *

During the flight towards the Sulphur-Bottom, Rock stayed in his room. The nightmare was still in his head, and he had suspicions as to what had caused it.

It was on Kattelox that Rock began feeling so uneasy. First, Juno had mistaken him by someone named "Rockman Trigger." They fought, then Data appeared speaking a lot of "technicalese" and overrode Juno's commands. He stopped the program that would wipe everyone from Kattelox, on behalf of a "First Class Purifier Unit Rockman Trigger", then said that Rock had built him and had stored his memories into him. It didn't make sense. Rock couldn't believe that he was someone else. The only thing he could think off, was that he was so tired after battling Juno that he had collapsed, then dreamed about Data repeating those terms that Juno had said. That had to be it, because since then, Data was the bouncy monkey Rock had always known, and never again made that serious face, nor spoke strange things in technical terms, nor made any mention of "Rockman Trigger" or "memory backup" or anything like that.

It was the night prior, when Roll asked him to bring her a book that was in Gramps' room. Searching for the item, he accidentally dropped a folder, which opened and spilled all its contents to the ground. He was trying to put everything back inside when one of the papers got his attention. It was titled "Rock's Discovery." Curiosity got the better of him and he proceeded to read it.

"I went to the ruins in Nino Island, wanting to research about old civilization's. Those ruins are said to be very dangerous and are usually closed, but when I got there, they were open for some reason. I couldn't resist and ended up entering them without the guildmaster's permission. There I found a strange crystal. It melted when I touched it, and a baby was inside with a small monkey robot. I couldn't simply leave him there, but as I had entered the ruins without permission, I couldn't reveal where I had found him, so I decided to raise him myself. I named him Rock, so that him and Roll together would make 'Rock n' Roll'. He grew up normally, like any other kid. He became good friends with Roll, and an important part of the family. Honestly, he's the best treasure I've found so far."

Rock was touched. He was somewhat relieved after finding that writing, because it confirmed that he had indeed been found as a baby... Inside some ruins that were usually closed, out of all places... But he didn't want to think about those details. The point was that he had been a baby like anyone else, grown up like anyone else, and spent all his life with Gramps and Roll. There was no way that he could not have been... Himself. His findings relieved him somewhat, but he was still thinking about those things when he went to sleep, probably the reason he had those nightmares that night, involving Data and Juno, of course.

Farewell, Rockman Trigger!" Juno's last words from the nightmare haunted him.

"I don't have anything to do with this 'Rockman Trigger.' I'm me. I'm Rock Volnutt, just Rock Volnutt... Right?" He kept staring at the mirror, as if his reflected image could give the answer to his questions. He almost jumped when the reflection momentarily seemed to not be his own. He sighed in relief when it was back to normal after a blink, probably just his imagination... And nearly jumped again when he heard Data's voice.

"Rock! Roll asked me to tell you that we'll land in a few minutes!"

"Okay, thanks," Rock said, once more relieved that Data was normal.

Data was right. The Sulphur-Bottom was in sight and they would land shortly.

Rock would leave the key with Bluecher. After that... He wanted to do something different, to take focus away from his problems. He decided to go talk to everyone he met aboard the ship. Roll had made fun of him several times, commenting that he acted like some RPG protagonist, talking to anyone he came across, and occasionally getting some gifts from the people... Rock smiled with the recollection while he got ready to leave the Flutter.

* * *

In a room in the Sulphur-Bottom, Geetz was in his humanoid form, standing near the bed Sera was lying on. They were stuck. They couldn't get the keys for themselves because Yuna had previously blocked their access to the ruins, meaning, the doors and elevators wouldn't work for either Mother Unit Sera or Servitor Unit Geetz. The only way to get around that was having some unsuspecting Carbon to get in there. As the Carbons from that ship seemed to have many resources at their disposal, they decided to get them to collect the keys. But instead of using all the equipment and personnel available, the men left everything in the hands of a boy. A simple, lone boy... The more Geetz thought, more it seemed like a bad idea, and a waste of time. "Mistress Sera?"

Sera slightly turned her head in his direction, acknowledging the call. She knew they were being monitored. She didn't want to move or talk much, because she was pretending to be in a weakened state.

"Do you think that the boy will be able to get the keys?" He asked.

She couldn't answer, because at that moment, a guard knocked on the door saying that Bluecher was calling.

"Excuse me. I will be back shortly," Geetz said, left, and forgot to close the door.

A few minutes passed. His "shortly" was taking longer than expected and Sera was getting impatient. That position was getting uncomfortable. Monitored or not, she decided to sit up for a bit. A weakened person should be able to at least sit up for a few minutes, right?

"Um, hi."

She jumped. Rock was standing outside looking at her, reminding her that the door was left open. Unlike when they first came to that ship, he wasn't in a digger suit. He wore a navy blue jeans and a white shirt, and looked like just an ordinary Carbon.

He kept speaking. "Nice to see you're doing okay. I wanted to talk to you before, but you were sleeping when I came the other time."

Sera's eyes quickly darted outside. Geetz was taking too much time to come back. She didn't want to speak much, so she wished he was there to relieve her from the talking.

There was no verbal response, but Rock took the hint. "About your friend, he's talking to Gramps right now. You know, Professor Barrell Caskett, the one that was with Mister Bluecher."

Sera nodded, surprised that he got the hint about Geetz's whereabouts without her having to ask. She didn't know what they were talking about, however she knew that, despite the serious mask, Geetz could be very talkative if given the chance, like when a certain Purifier Unit started hanging around with him, back in the Elysium days. She didn't approve of it. She always said that such actions were unnecessary and would only distract them from their work. He apologized and didn't argue, but she was sure that he still did it sometimes when she wasn't around.

Rock continued what he was saying. "Barrell is my grandfather... Well, not my true grandfather, because I'm adopted, but whatever..." Rock shrugged. "He's very interested in old civilization's. Now that he finally found someone that actually knows about the subject... You see, it might be a while until your friend comes back."

Sera gritted her teeth in annoyance.

"I know it's hard. You suddenly appeared in a totally unknown place, with lots of people you've never seen before, and no one that you know around. Um, so... I can stay and keep you company, if you want." He offered. "Can I... Come in?" He asked hesitantly, after a few seconds without response.

All Sera wanted was to get the keys, find the Master's genetic code, go back to Elysium, and run the Carbon Reinitialization Program, as her duty dictated. She didn't see the need to talk to anyone there, specially since all of them would die after her mission was completed. Her work was first priority. But now that she was stuck and didn't have anything work related to focus on, she was at a loss. In fact, it was only the third day since her awakening, and the lack of activities was starting to get boring. Should she accept that Carbon's company, and maybe try to talk about those... Unnecessary things? Luckily for her, he seemed to say a lot of things without being asked, so he would probably do most of the talking. It could serve as a way to pass the time, at least. Besides, she still hadn't taken a good look at that boy who would be getting the keys for her. She finally nodded, allowing him inside.

"Well, so..." He considered what to talk about next. "Oh, right. I think we still don't know each other's names. My name's Rock. What's yours?"

"... ... Sera." She finally decided to speak, albeit in a low voice.

"Sera? Sera..." He repeated, with a thoughtful expression. "Hmm. It isn't a very common name, is it? Strange, because I have the impression that I've heard it before..."

Now that he mentioned it, Sera had the impression that she had seen him before, but she couldn't remember where. It could very well be just her imagination, because she thought something seemed off. Maybe it was his height, or the hair color, or both... She thought hard, but gave up, unable to conclude anything.

"Ah, it doesn't matter." Rock shook his head, also giving up. "Okay, so... Nice to meet you." He changed the subject. "By the way, I got the key."

That piqued her interest. She widened her eyes a bit, as if asking "really?".

"Yeah, it's true." Once more, he answered her unspoken question. "Want to see it? Mister Bluecher already got it stored in the other room, though. If you want, I can take you there."

Yes, she wanted to see it. It was still a bit hard to believe. She couldn't imagine that seemingly normal boy being able to bypass the System's security, and actually get the key. But it wouldn't be right to leave the room. What if Geetz came back and didn't find her there? Plus, when he came, he would confirm that the key was there, right? ... Even then, she still wanted to see it with her own eyes...

"Can you walk?" Rock asked. "If not, I can carry you..."

Being carried? By a Carbon? That was humiliating. She decided to walk on her own and take the risk. No one should suspect anything if she moved slowly. But when she was about to stand up, Geetz appeared.

"Please, do not disturb Mistress Sera's sl... Oh." He stopped midsentence, noticing that Sera was "awake."

"Oh, sorry." Rock apologized. "She was already awake when I arrived. She let me in and I offered to show her the key..."

"You let him in?" He asked Sera, surprised that she would do such a thing.

She nodded.

"I confirm that the key is here." Geetz said firmly.

"But she still wants to see it." Rock protested.

Sera nodded once more, slowly standing up, and taking her servant aback.

"Ah! Mistress! What are you doing! ?" Geetz ran to her and held her. He didn't want to run the risk of having their cover blown. "You cannot push yourself like that. Please, go back to bed and rest. It is for your own safety..."

"Was she locked here for all this time? Maybe she just wants to stretch a bit..." Rock argued.

Geetz sighed. "Very well. I shall accompany you then. But Mistress Sera, please do not push yourself too much."

"You're coming too? Great!" Rock said, then turned to Sera. "Don't worry. There're two people looking over you. Everything will be fine."

* * *

The three left the room together. They walked slowly and silently until they got to the room with the key. It was there, enclosed by a protective transparent barrier, displayed proudly to anyone that entered the room.

"It... It is one of the keys indeed..." Sera said in a near whisper. Her red eyes burned intensely, reflecting her satisfaction. It was her biggest display of emotion since the moment she got in that ship, though it quickly faded away and soon she was back to cold and serious mode.

It happened so fast that Rock wondered if he had really seen her expression change or if it was just his imagination. He couldn't think over it for long because Geetz began talking to him.

"Mister Rock, correct?"

"Huh...?" Rock was unsure for a moment. Being addressed like that was weird. "... Y-yeah, but..." He would object to the "Mister" part, but Geetz kept speaking.

"You really got the key. We are very grateful for that."

The honorific was forgotten in favor of a more nagging matter. "You're welcome... But I have a question."

"Hm?"

"What do you need those keys for, actually?"

"Hmm?" Geetz was incredulous. What was Bluecher thinking? Did he ask for the boy's help without saying what it was about? Well, it somehow made sense, as the man could be withholding information, planning to get the "treasure" all for himself through the boy's efforts. "Weren't you told about it? These are the keys to unlock the legendary treasure, the 'Great Legacy...' Oh, apologies. I think the people here refer to it as the 'Mother Lode...'"

"Yeah, I know that." Rock nodded. "What I don't understand is..." He ran a hand through his hair thoughtfully. "Well, I heard that you were after the keys to be able to save her." He glanced at Sera. "But save her from what?"

So even that detail had gotten to the boy? Geetz was wrong. Bluecher wasn't withholding information. On the contrary, he was speaking too much. It was Geetz himself that needed to withhold information. "It is **our** problem. Something that you do not need to concern yourself about."

"Huh? But I'm helping too, aren't I? I think I could at least know what I'm helping to achieve."

Sera's good mood was getting ruined, slowly being replaced with irritation. That boy was smarter than they gave credit for. Not to mention that something about the way he argued back reminded her of a certain annoying Purifier Unit.

Geetz didn't want to admit, but the boy had a point. Strangely, Rock seemed more worried for them than for the treasure. "**Our** problem is **ours** only, and does not concern you. The only thing that should matter to you, is that unlocking this technology can free all of you from your problems, never needing to worry about anything anymore." It was true, only not in the way he made it sound. Geetz proceeded to place promising ideas in the boy's head. "Have you ever imagined a perfect world, peaceful and without pain or suffering? That is what humanity craved for all these centuries, and it is what this past technology has the potential to bring." He meant for the restored humans, which would be the new inhabitants of Terra after the reinitialization took place.

Rock wasn't convinced. "Hmm, I don't know... Somehow I have a weird feeling about this."

"You are already helping us by getting the keys, and we are immensely grateful for that." Geetz tried flattering the boy's ego to see if he conceded. On Elysium, sometimes that was what took for some old lesser Units to work properly. "We are impressed that a youth like you was able to come this far."

"Thanks. I do what I can." To Geetz's dismay, Rock added. "So if I can help with anything else..."

Geetz sighed. "Just focus on getting the keys. It is more than enough."

"Hmm, okay..." Rock answered, still not looking convinced.

"Mistress Sera, we should go back to our assigned room."

"Wait!" Rock stopped them. "Did you already get a tour of the ship?"

"... Actually, no." The Servitor Unit answered.

"Oh! Then I can show you around. The ship is huge and has a lot of technological stuff. It's amazing! Aren't you curious to see some technology that came after your time?"

"I apologize. Mister Bluecher instructed us to stay in that room. It is not wise for us to be outside for too long."

"Is that so? Wait here. ... Mister Bluecher?"

Rock ran out of the key's room, where Bluecher's office was, then proceeded to ask for authorization. Sera and Geetz could make out Rock's voice asking something, then Bluecher's voice saying "If they are with you, I see no problem. I'll instruct the guards..." Followed by some more talk, then Rock came back.

"All clear."

"Hmm, they trust you too much..." Surprisingly, Sera was the one who spoke.

"Hahaha, I guess that's a good thing."

Mother and Servitor Units traded knowing looks. They didn't want to be moving around too much, risking blowing up their façade. But now they even had clearance from Bluecher. They would have to go. There was no choice.

"Shall we go, then?" Geetz chose to carry Sera so as to not raise suspicion.

* * *

They took a walk around the ship. Geetz tried, but was unable to hide his amazement towards the Carbon's technology. He couldn't avoid commenting on whatever piqued his interest.

Sera, on the other hand, was mostly silent. Carried by her servant, she observed the scenery around and their guide waving to anyone they came across. She mostly stayed quiet while the other two commented on the pieces of technology they saw. It was impressive how the Carbons managed to develop those things... Including three small yellow-headed robots that Rock ended up rescuing, even though they weren't part of the ship's tech nor Bluecher's crew. One was crying rather convincingly, the other was reading a book and the last one was complaining about hunger. These robots nowadays...

"Waaaaa! Where's everyone!?" The third one said, crying. "I'm hungry! Miss Tron said we'd have hamburger tonight! I want hamburger! Miss Tron! Where's Miss Tron!?"

"Hey."

As expected, the Servbot jumped and his already big eyes widened in shock. In the two cases prior, the reaction to the boy's arrival was very similar. "Aaaaah! M-Mister Rock!" ... Except for that.

"... Huh?" It was Rock's turn to be surprised. First Geetz, now them too? "... 'Mister...?'"

"Y-yes," the little robot answered. "ever since we learned of your name, that's how we've been calling you!" The Servbot didn't look afraid anymore. His eyes were lighting up with hope. "By the way, you know where Miss Tron is, right? Right? Please, say 'yes...!'"

_Poor thing,_ Rock thought. "Umm, sorry, I don't. I hadn't seen her since Pokte Village."

"Po... Po-Pokte... Village!" The Servbot was desperate again. "Oh no! They said the next mission was in Pokte Village... So everyone already went there..."

"Yeah, and they failed." Rock said as if it was the most normal of things. "But don't worry. Tron is strong and should be okay."

"... Do you... Think so?" The robot was almost crying.

"The machine... Isn't usable anymore..." He chose to be careful with his words. "But Tron is okay, I assure you."

"Ah... Thank you!" The Servbot bowed. "Thank you for always being nice to Miss Tron!"

"Um... No problem. Anyway, I found two other Servbots a while back."

"O-other Servbots?"

"Yeah. They said they got lost too. Want me to take you to them?"

"Yes, yes, please!" The Servbot jumped happily in place.

Rock guided the Servbot to the room where he had left the others.

"Oh, you really found him." The second Servbot put away the book he was reading. "Thank you very much."

"Thank you, you saved us!" The first one said.

"Miss Tron was right. She said you're a very gentle person!" The third one spoke.

"... Tron? ... Said that?" Certainly not what he expected to hear from someone that always got blown by his weapons.

"Yes!" The third Servbot jumped.

_Weird,_ Rock thought. "... Um... Okay, I need to be going now. You three be good and take care to not get lost again, alright?"

"Roger!" The three answered in unison.

* * *

They continued the ship's tour. They entered a large hall which was filled by a pleasant aroma.

_What is this?_ Sera thought as she felt her mouth watering. Her eyes scanned the room in search of the aroma's source.

"Wait." She stopped them, intensely eying an instant coffee machine.

"Hm?" Rock looked in the direction Sera had indicated. She hadn't particularly shown interest in anything they had seen so far, now she was entranced by a simple coffee machine, out of all things? "What about...?"

"Is it... True coffee?"

He found the question strange. "Huh? Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

Geetz cleared Rock's confusion. "Back in... The place where we lived, we did not have true coffee. There was only a substance made to resemble it, which was fabricated."

"Ugh." Rock grimaced. "That doesn't sound very good." In no time, he was all enthusiastic again. "You should prove this one, then! It's great. Want some?"

The two hesitated, but in the end Sera nodded and convinced Geetz to join her. Soon the three were seated on a bench, enjoying their cups of coffee.

Sera was delighted by the substance's taste. It was much better than she had expected. The "coffee" from Elysium was very dull. She only drank it because it stimulated her internal systems. Recalling that, her thoughts wandered off.

X:X:X:X:X

She had ordered Geetz to complete some tasks, including bringing her some coffee when he was finished. She was alone at her computers, analyzing countless reports of the Master System's performance. When she least expected, someone barged in the room through the electronic door and nearly made her jump.

"Mistress Sera!" It was an Unit. A Purifier Unit, to be more exact. He had the appearance of a Carbon in his early twenties. He usually wore a navy blue armor, but he was currently off duty and was wearing a black jacket and gray trousers. He also wore a necklace chain with a crystal pendant. His hair was spiked, rebellious, dark-red and somewhat long, going a little past his shoulders. His skin tone was not as dark as the other Units', nor as light as the Master's. He had lively green eyes, and almost always had a grin plastered on his face.

"Trigger. How many times do I have to tell you to-"

He interrupted her. "Knock, yeah. I know, I actually remembered it this time." He could probably tell that Sera wasn't convinced. "It's true! I'd knock, but well, you see. My hands are occupied." To make his point, he raised the two large cups of coffee he was holding.

Sera sighed. She hated when he decided to disturb her work. He was an excellent battler, and the best Purifier Unit. Outside of battle though, it was a different story. Despite having the appearance of an adult, he acted like a Carbon child most of the time... Well, not that she had that much experience with Carbon children to really know. The point is: he was like a child in an adult body. His presence was invasive. He was always very loud, as if his volume output were constantly locked to 100%. He was hyperactive, talked too much and was unable to sit still for long. Sera only hadn't declared him defective yet because he excelled in his job, and because the Master seemed to take comfort in his presence for whatever reason. However, she was set on reporting him whenever the first opportunity arose. "What are you doing here?" She asked, praying for his visit to be quick.

"Geetz told me you had asked for coffee. He was very busy, so I offered to help. I thought you could use the coffee earlier." He left one of the cups on the table in front of her.

Sera took her drink. When she was about to dismiss him, he pulled a chair without asking for permission and sat next to her.

"I'll join you," he said and began to empty the other cup. "... Mistress Sera."

She turned her head in his direction, almost grunting in annoyance.

"Have you ever had coffee?" He probably realized that it sounded stupid and quickly corrected. "... I mean, the real thing. Not this artificial stuff."

"No." She answered dryly.

"The Master said that true coffee is much different than this. He said he misses it... He made a very sad face when he told me that..."

Sera found it absurd. They were in the perfect world. The Master shouldn't be so sad over something as mundane as coffee.

They drank the rest of their coffee in silence. Sera put her cup away. She went back to work and did her best to ignore the First Class Purifier seated beside her. Surprisingly, Trigger managed to stay quiet for almost one minute. Of course, it didn't last long and soon he began speaking again.

"Hmm. Too much work?" He glanced at the wall of text on the computer screen.

"What do you think?" Sera was already getting irritated.

"I think you're always pushing yourself too hard." He answered as if unaware that it was a rhetorical question. Either he didn't notice her irritation, or if he noticed, he didn't care. "If I knew anything about this stuff, I'd help you."

Sera turned to face him fully. "Trigger." She called in a serious tone and glared at him threateningly.

"Yes?"

Like always, he didn't even flinch. It unnerved her. Unlike all the other Units, he was the only one that she never succeeded to intimidate.

"I will stress this once more. The Unit categories exist for a reason. Each Unit is specialized in one area, and shouldn't interfere in the work of others. That is why you must focus only on your duties and nothing else. Do you understand?"

"Hmm." Trigger had a thoughtful expression for a bit, but he didn't consider her lecture for long. "I still think learning different things makes for good experience."

She hardened her glare. "Listen. Straying from the rules is the first step into becoming an Irregular. Always remember that."

"Ah." Understanding crossed his face. "I see. So that's what you were worrying about..."

"Yes."

But once again, he hadn't taken it the way she had wanted. To her dismay, he just shrugged and laughed it off. "Hahaha! Come on! I understand it's a really big responsibility to look over the System. But you know? Sometimes, you just worry too much!" He stood up and retrieved the empty cups. "Want more coffee?" He didn't wait for her answer. "You do, yeah I know you do!" He quickly turned to leave.

"Trigger!" She called, intent on reprimanding him again.

"Wait here. I'll be back in a flash!" And he bolted out of the room.

One minute later, he was back with two even larger cups.

"Told you I'd be fast, didn't I?" Trigger grinned while he placed Sera's cup on her table. He took his place on the chair next to her and began drinking his own coffee.

Sera didn't take her cup, deciding to leave it for later. She tried to continue her work, but couldn't get very far because Trigger began shuffling on his chair and speaking at 120% volume.

"I can't wait to try the coffee from Terra! If the Master likes it so much, it has to be great! Hahahaha! Don't you think? ... Whenever a chance comes, I'm going there. Then, I want you to come with me! And Geetz too, because he also likes coffee a lot! It'll be really really really awesome!"

Sera cursed internally. She had witnessed that a few times before. Normal Trigger was already bad enough. In "caffeinated mode," he got even more agitated and harder to deal with. Sera was starting to get an headache. She had to end that soon if she wanted to preserve her sanity. "Trigger, you are dismissed." No reaction. "Trigger!" She had to raise her voice.

"... Hmm?" He stopped shuffling and looked sideways at her.

"I said you are dismissed."

"Ah, I heard that." He waved it off as though it meant nothing.

"Then, please leave."

"Why?" He protested. "I want to stay more! I don't have anything else to do now... So I wanted to watch your work! And maybe learn something..."

Sera gave him another of her glares. "What you should learn, is that rules were made to be followed! Stop interfering in my work and leave me alone! I am already getting a headache..."

"That's because you work too much! I told you that you push yourself too hard..." He said in a scolding tone, then widened his eyes at her in concern. "Are you okay? Want me to call maintenance?"

"No. I need concentration. I need silence, and please, I need you to leave this room, now."

"Hmm, okay..." He finally stood up, still looking as if he didn't want to comply. "Then, see you later!" And the hurricane known as Rockman Trigger was finally out of the room.

Sera sighed. She decided to drink her already cold coffee, to see if it helped in reducing her headache.

X:X:X:X:X

She glanced at the coffee machine again. If Trigger were there, he undoubtedly would be amazed by the true coffee. He would drink a lot, making his caffeine levels go well beyond the threshold. He would wreak havoc in the Sulphur-Bottom, and she would have to stop him before Bluecher decided to throw them all out of the ship. Sera blinked, making the image disappear. Where did that outrageous thought come from? Trigger was an Irregular, and should have been terminated. She shouldn't be fantasizing about wasting time drinking coffee with him and Geetz in a Carbon's ship.

Speaking of Geetz, the Servitor was on his second cup. Sera kept staring at the coffee machine, considering getting a second cup herself.

Meanwhile, Rock had finished his first one and just waited patiently for them. Noticing Sera looking at the instant coffee machine again, he decided to help her. "Do you want more?"

In the end, Sera couldn't resist and gave a slight nod. She was glad she didn't need to ask, but on the other hand, she was a bit annoyed because that boy already proved to read her too well.

"Here." He refilled the cup and passed it back to her.

She took it, nodding gratefully. Rock gave her a bright smile, which reminded her of Trigger... Again. She quickly dismissed the thought and decided to concentrate on her coffee instead.

* * *

They finished their little tour and went back to the room assigned to Sera and Geetz.

"We thank you for your guidance." Geetz spoke for both of them.

"You're welcome." Rock smiled. "I'll be going now. You two are coming to the party tonight, right?"

"A party?" Geetz was confused.

"Yeah, didn't anyone tell you? Mister Bluecher told me that he'll give a party to mark the end of the Forbidden Island expedition. He wants to keep the part about the keys and the Mother Lode private, but he says the party is actually to celebrate that we got the first key. He invited both of you, too."

Geetz was hesitant. "Wouldn't our presence draw attention to said private matters?"

"Only if you talk about them. It's the agreement. No one should talk about those... Besides, there'll be various sorts of people coming. For everyone, we'll be just other guests. Nothing more, nothing less." Says the one that did all the hard work. "If you don't come, are you going to stay here in this room with nothing to do?"

"Well..."

Rock didn't let Geetz argue back. "Mister Bluecher said there'll be an orchestra! Have you ever seen one live?"

"... No." Geetz answered.

"Me too. I only saw orchestras on TV. I want to see it, sounds amazing!" Rock was all excited.

That enthusiasm, coupled with the way of dragging people into things, were really reminiscent of a certain Purifier Unit. Geetz involuntarily recalled an event involving the subject of orchestras, the Master and said Purifier. That made him think it should be worth their time. He looked at his mistress for approval and got a reluctant nod in response. He turned back to Rock. "Well, if we were invited..."

"Then, it's set. See you tonight!" Rock nodded to them and left the room.

Geetz closed the door.

_What did we get ourselves into?_ Geetz thought, and looking at Sera, he could tell that similar thoughts were crossing her mind.

* * *

A/n: Interacting with the "ancients," then rescuing the Servbots... Basically, everything I wanted to do while in the Sulphur-Bottom but the game didn't allow me to.

I'm pretty sure that the "ancients" could do some scanning and recognize Rock as Trigger, but for the sake of this fic, they didn't (yet) :P.

As for Trigger's appearance in this story, think older Rock Volnutt with a bit darker skin, and longer but dark-red hair (as for what an "older" Rock would look like, that's up to your imagination :P). All of this is for a reason, though.

* * *

Update (2014/08/23): like I was doing with my Pokemon fic, I began adapting scenes of this fan fiction to audio drama in Japanese. If you like Japanese audio, you might like this (or not :P). I did the part about the Juno nightmare. It can be found here:

aiyumi dot warpstar dot net / en / rockman / toc / drama

Requests of new scenes to make are welcome. Something about the "ancients" and Rock... Or Trigger (how about some coffee? :P)... Or maybe the Servbots?


	2. The Orchestra

Trigger of Change

Written by Aiyumi

Disclaimer: Rockman/Mega Man, as well as any other trademark that may be referenced in this fan fiction, are properties of their respective owners. I am just a fan and do not have any relations to said people/companies.

Chapter 2: the Orchestra

"Rock, what took you so long?" Roll asked when Rock came back to the Flutter.

"Sorry. I decided to talk to those 'ancients' and show them around the ship."

"Hmmm, I see." Roll grinned. "RPG protagonist complex again, huh?"

"Hey. Please, don't say that." He made a face, looking offended.

Roll giggled. "Okay, okay." She went back to the subject. "What kind of people are they?"

"Well, the man's name is Geetz and the girl is called Sera. They act very serious most of the time, but I think that's normal. I mean, they were trapped in that island for who knows how long, then woke up to this world were they don't have anything or anyone... It might take a long time until they get used to this place and warm up to us. "

At first sight, Roll had the impression that they were indeed too serious, maybe a bit dangerous... But after Rock's reasoning, she thought that maybe they weren't that bad.

Rock continued. "I still don't know much about them, but I noticed that Geetz really likes technological stuff. He got very impressed while I was showing them around the ship. Sera, well... She doesn't talk much. I saw that she loved the instant coffee, though!"

Roll giggled.

"Recovery complete!" A voice came from the speakers and interrupted them. "Engines are stable, initiating countdown! Takeoff in thirty... Twenty nine... Twenty eight..."

"Oh! Isn't it incredible?" Roll changed the subject. "They already managed to fix the Sulphur-Bottom's engines!"

In around twenty seconds, they were in the air. Bluecher had ordered them to get out of their crash position near Forbidden Island, and land somewhere more accessible. The party would be held on the ship, and the guests would be able to reach it easily.

* * *

It was nightfall. A guard came bringing the clothes for them to wear at the party. Rock came out of the men's bathroom, while Roll came out of the women's.

Rock was wearing a navy blue suit, and had used some gel to keep his hair more under control. That was what he usually did when he had to go meet with important people. "Roll, you're lucky to have gotten something so simple and nice."

Roll wore a simple pink dress and had removed her hat. "Wow. Rock, you look too formal!"

"Yeah, I saw myself in the mirror. I'm looking too serious! This way, people will have a reason to call me 'Mister Rock,' and I won't have one to blame them..."

She knew he didn't like to be called that. "You really have a problem with that, don't you?"

"I'm too young for that! And even if I wasn't, I can't imagine myself with status of any kind."

"It isn't status, Rock. It's only respect. That's normal."

"Feels a bit heavy for me."

"You put your life in danger almost every day. Now, you were asked to find the keys to the biggest treasure in History, and yet you enter and navigate those ruins like it was nothing! Isn't that heavy for you?" No answer. "I mean, come on. Just accept that and be done with it."

"Okay, okay..." He waved resignedly and changed the subject. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"I'll stay with Gramps for a bit. So much happened after we arrived, and I still couldn't talk to him much."

"Alright. I'll take a walk around."

"Okay, see you later."

* * *

The "ancients" were also given clothes for the party. Geetz was given a gray business suit, while Sera got a light pink dress with ribbons that made her look even more like a little child. Walking slowly through the ship's corridors, they met Rock.

"Hey!" The boy waved to them.

It took a few seconds for Geetz to realize it was him. "Oh. Mister Rock? I nearly failed to recognize you..."

"Hahaha." Rock laughed at Geetz's unusual choice of words. "I looked in the mirror and almost didn't recognize myself, so I can't blame you, I guess."

"This is embarrassing." Sera touched the big ribbons on her dress. She was talking just to herself, but Rock heard her.

"Yeah, you're not alone. This thing makes me look too serious. I like the color, though."

Sera focused away from her dress to take a good look at him. His suit was navy blue, just like the armor of that Purifier Unit who was invading her thoughts so much that day.

They went to the room where Bluecher would open the party. Since it was too crowded and Bluecher was ready to start his speech, Rock didn't have time to locate Roll and stayed where he was. They sat down, Sera in the middle, with Geetz at her right and Rock at her left. Half of a minute later, Bluecher began speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for assembling here today. The long awaited expedition to Forbidden Island has come to an end. Even though we were faced with various difficulties, we were able to explore the island." He said though they weren't, Rock being the one that did all the hard work. But that was the agreement. No "details." "The bad news is that, unfortunately, the Mother Lode was not there. On the other hand, the good news is that, once again, we survived!"

people began murmuring.

"If the Mother Lode wasn't there, then what did you find?" A reporter voiced the question nagging the majority there present.

"Only Reaverbots. Oddly, after defeating a big and powerful Reaverbot at the center, the storm stopped as if it had never happened. With that, now ships can enter there normally. You can investigate it for yourselves, although I don't think there is much to find, as the island is currently empty. It is as if everything about that island was just a dream. Things suddenly went back to normal... The calm after the storm, I suppose." Bluecher joked.

Another reporter raised a hand. "We heard rumors that the Diggers who had disappeared were brought back. Is that true?"

"Yes. When the Reaverbot was destroyed, they were freed."

_The people that disappeared... Came back? Then maybe..._ That new bit of information brought some hope to Roll. There was a chance that her parents were among the Diggers that came back.

"Are you saying that the Reaverbots were keeping them captive? If so, for what purpose?" Another reporter asked.

"We do not know as of yet." Bluecher admitted.

"Really not any hint to the Mother Lode?" Another reporter insisted.

"There are a few other mysteries we are currently trying to solve. Maybe they mean something, maybe not. We still cannot say anything about those at the moment, so as not to jump to conclusions ahead of time." He snapped his fingers. "For now, let's celebrate the closure of our expedition, as well as the survival of all Diggers who ventured there, including ourselves! May the party begin! We wish you all an enjoyable stay! Now, please welcome the Manda Orchestra, from Pokte Village in Manda Island!"

Bluecher and the reporters stepped away to give room to the orchestra. It was a small group of around 20 members. People were chattering while the players assumed their positions.

"Did you know?" A woman spoke, a few rows of seats behind Rock. "Pokte Village was attacked by pirates recently. Part of the money that Mister Bluecher paid the orchestra will be used to restore the village!"

"Wow..." Came the response of the woman beside her.

The players got to their positions and the crowd silenced. A few moments later, the room was filled with the sound of the first movement of "Spring" from "The Four Seasons."

_This song..._ Sera's thoughts began wandering off again. _Master..._

X:X:X:X:X

She and Geetz came to the Master's building. The Servitor rang the doorbell. Bouncy footsteps echoed from inside, an indication that the Master wasn't the one coming to welcome them. The door was opened to reveal Trigger in casual clothes.

"Oh, it's you!" The Purifier spoke with a smile.

"We have brought the files the Master requested. Could you please deliver this to him?" Geetz handed out a small disk.

Trigger didn't take it. "Why don't you come in? You arrived at a good time! The Master said he wanted to show something interesting!" He turned around to face the man coming from behind. "Right, Master?"

"Good afternoon, Master. We brought you the files you requested." Geetz handed out the disk again.

"Good afternoon, Geetz, Sera." The Master took the disk. "Thank you. I will take a look at this later. While organizing my things, I found some old recordings that I was unaware I still had. We were about to check them out. Why don't you join us?"

Geetz looked at Sera, awaiting her decision.

"If you so wish..." She addressed the Master.

"Please come in." He guided them inside.

They followed. When they arrived at the living room, they were greeted by a huge mess of paper and boxes strewn on the ground.

"I am sorry." The Master apologized. "It is **a bit** messy, but please do not mind it."

Geetz had his mouth hanging open for a while, until he caught himself and quickly corrected his posture.

"There is no need to apologize, Master," Sera said, perfectly sure that 99% of that mess wasn't the Master's doing.

"Hmm... Well... Please sit down." He indicated the sofa.

They did as asked. The Master inserted a DVD into a drive in his computer, then turned on a big monitor which would play the role of a TV.

"What is it? What is it...?" Trigger tapped a foot on the ground impatiently, earning a grunt of annoyance from Sera.

The Master pressed the play button. "I hope the files are still intact..." He held his breath while the word "Loading" was displayed on the screen.

"Oh!" Trigger exclaimed when the message went away and the image changed.

"Yes! Hahaha!" The Master almost jumped in joy when the movie started playing.

Sera was curious as to what had caused that reaction, since it was rare to see the Master so excited. She turned her full attention to the monitor. The movie showed a large hall. On the stage at the center, there was a medium group of teenagers in a circular formation, armed with various wooden instruments. At the back, there were rows of seats from where many others watched. That room was unfamiliar to her. It wasn't anywhere in Elysium. Also, those people... Who were they? They didn't look like the Units from Elysium. Were they Carbons? No. There was something different about them.

"Oh my! I still can't believe it!" The Master spoke gleefully.

"This... Is...?" Sera asked.

"It is a recording of my group's final presentation at school, back on Terra before the Reaverbots destroyed everything." He answered.

Sera and Geetz were shocked.

"This means..." Geetz found his speech first.

Sera completed. "Those are humans... We are seeing the true human race..."

"Yes." The Master confirmed, leaving them speechless again, except for one.

"Wow! That's amazing!" Trigger jumped on his seat. "What are they doing?"

"This is an orchestra." The Master explained. "Everyone is strategically positioned in order to get the best sound quality. Each of its members plays a musical instrument, and an important part in achieving the final, full sound. It is as if each of the members were a piece of a big puzzle."

"Hmm..." Trigger had his eyes wide. "So, those wooden things make sound?"

"Yes."

"You were the leader, right?" The Purifier kept asking.

"No, I was not."

"What!?" Trigger shouted. "How can that be? I can't imagine you not being the leader!"

The Master chuckled. "I was not chosen. There were others better suited to the job."

"No, this isn't right!" Trigger whined as if the Master had been a victim of injustice.

The Master simply smiled and patted Trigger on the head as if he were a little child.

"Now, we listen to group B, with the first movement of 'Spring' from 'The Four Seasons,' composed by Antonio Vivaldi!" The announcer in the movie said.

"Master, who's Antonio Vivaldi?" Trigger asked.

"A composer from 16XX. The music is from 17XX."

"17XX! Such a long time ago...!" Trigger almost shouted. When the music began, he was surprised by the "velvet" like sound coming from the strings. "Wow! This is the sound those things make? Ahahaha! I thought they'd sound more like... Um, tapping on wood, you know?"

Sera couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to listen to the true humans' work of art, but that annoying Purifier refused to stop talking. "Trigger, could you please stay in silence? I would like to listen to the recording." She said in a rare display of will. She usually didn't openly express her wishes, unless they were related to work.

"Okay," he said and shut his mouth, but as always his silence didn't last long. He stared at the monitor in concentration for a moment, then suddenly shouted. "Found him! Look! It's the Master!" He pointed at a blonde teen playing the violin, a bit obscured by other players.

"That's correct." The man smiled. "You have good observation skills, Trigger."

Sera would grunt in irritation, but the Master's input made her look at the person Trigger had pointed at. He was younger and had much shorter hair, but it was undeniable. That boy was indeed the Master. Throughout the remainder of the music, the Units were focused on the young Master, while the Master from the present had his eyes closed, lost in his memories.

* * *

After the recording ended, they were still in awe. That was the true humans' potential.

"It was awesome!" Trigger said. "Now I want to see one of those live! ... Master, do you think the Carbons have orchestras too?"

"Hmm, I never checked that, though I think they might."

"Then please check it. If they do, I want to go there!"

"Maybe one day, who knows..." The Master had a smile and a distant look. "However, while watching the performance, there is an important rule that must be followed, which might be a bit hard for you."

"What's it?" Trigger gave a curious look.

The Master grinned playfully. "You must stay quiet."

"Oh... Ah..." Trigger looked a bit embarrassed.

"Perhaps you should make the habit of... 'Practicing' sometimes." The Master's tone was still playful.

"Um... Okay, I'll try. Anything to watch an awesome show like that!"

"Oh, will you? I wish I could be there to see that."

"That'd be nice, if you could stand being on Terra..." Trigger's expression quickly changed from excited to sad, then back to excited again. "Ah, then, when I go there, can I take Mistress Sera and Geetz?"

Before the Master could answer, Sera did. "There is no point."

"Huh? Why?" Trigger turned to her.

"There is a great depth of emotion and skill involved, which are exclusive to the true humans. The Carbons are just mere artificial fabrications, and will never be able to match that kind of performance."

"Hmm... But what if they do?" The Purifier insisted. "Then it's more reason to see it! Right?"

Sera sighed and gave up on arguing back. Like always, talking to him was useless. Whatever she said, he would just counter with more nonsense. It wasn't worth her energy.

X:X:X:X:X

Sera opened her eyes suddenly, coming back from her thoughts. Why was that Purifier invading her head so much? She had thought of him countless times that day. She decided to focus on the performance ahead. A lively performance. Sera was impressed. She had thought only the true humans would be capable of playing on that emotional level, but apparently, she was wrong. Inadvertently, an image appeared in her head, depicting what would be like if Trigger had taken her and Geetz to see a Carbon's orchestra... _No, not again! Get out of my head already, Trigger!_ She thought, blinking to erase the image. Then she looked to her right, where Geetz also seemed to be lost in thought.

Meanwhile, to Sera's left, was Rock. He was quiet, except for his eyes that frantically scanned the orchestra in search of someone that wasn't there. _Huh? What am I doing?_ He thought, stopping his search. He didn't know anyone from that orchestra, so who could he be searching for? That made no sense. He laughed internally at his own stupidity and focused back on the performance.

* * *

The performance ended. Everyone dispersed and began talking to each other about various subjects. Bluecher called Barrell and Roll to talk, so they also left.

Rock couldn't describe what he was feeling. The show was great, but he felt that something was missing... Or maybe someone. He was sure he knew a person that would really love to have seen it, but he couldn't remember who, or where from. He searched his memory for conversations with people he had met on the many islands he visited, trying to recall anything they could have said about orchestras, but nothing came up. Rock gave up and turned to his right. There, Sera was seated, with an expression so peaceful that he considered whether he should talk to her or not. However, as if sensing his gaze on her, she turned her head abruptly in his direction, startled.

Sera had been nearly hypnotized by the soothing sound of the strings. She kept thinking about the Master, how he would have liked to see such a performance. Maybe he would smile, or get very excited like when he found out his recordings were still playable... But of course, he was rarely alone. Where the Master was, there was Trigger. Sera began imagining what would be like to have the two watching that show.

"Wow! So this is what's like to see an orchestra live!" Trigger would shout at 130% volume, causing the nearby Carbons to direct strange looks at their group.

"Ssshhh..." The Master would shush him, then scold him in a low voice. "Remember what I told you? What was the rule, again?"

"Oh... Yeah, right. Hahaha, sorry!" The Purifier would smile sheepishly and apologize as loud as before, without making any effort to lower his volume output. That would leave Sera irritated and...

"Ah!" Sera gasped. She came back to reality, only then noticing that the performance was over. She had turned her head to the left, and nearly jumped when she opened her eyes. For a moment, she thought she had seen Trigger, but the illusion quickly faded away and she was facing Rock. Yes, Rock. He stayed so quiet the whole time that she had forgotten he was even there. "I-it's over..." She said, trying to recompose herself.

"Hm." Rock nodded. "Most people already left. And they're leaving, too." He pointed at the orchestra members. "I think we should go talk to them."

"... For what?" She didn't see a point.

"To let them know we liked what they did. Don't you like when people tell you they appreciate what you do?"

Probably. Only, she wasn't used to receiving compliments. She always did her work exactly as instructed. Everything she did was what was expected of her, nothing special enough to deserve a compliment. Well, Trigger complimented her sometimes, but that didn't count, since he said so much nonsense. Aside from him, no one else. Sera worked very hard thinking on pleasing the Master, and she had to admit that she would have liked to be praised by him.

"Let's go." Rock stood up and inadvertently grabbed her by the hand, startling her.

She stood up reluctantly, throwing a desperate look towards Geetz. However, her Servitor was distracted talking to someone and didn't notice her. Frustrated and without much choice, she decided to let herself be pulled.

"Hi, good evening." Rock began. "The show was great. It was touching!"

The conductor smiled. "Glad to know that it could appeal to young people like you. Most teenagers nowadays don't have much interest in this kind of music," he said even though the other orchestra members were also young people.

"It was impressive." The compliment left Sera's mouth, surprising even herself.

"Thank you." The man thought that Sera was a little child, and was taken aback by her choice of words.

"Wait," one of the members pointed at Rock. "You're the boy that fought the pirates!"

"Err, yeah." Rock wasn't expecting to be recognized. "S-sorry that I couldn't prevent all that damage." Tron's shots had flown all over the place, not to mention that her attempts to fake Roll's voice were an annoying distraction at first.

"What are you saying!?" It was the same person. "You were very brave to fight them alone. You saved the village! Thank you very much!" He bowed, and many other members followed suit. That left Rock embarrassed.

* * *

The three Servbots that Rock had helped earlier were hiding in a corner.

"That was really amazing!" The first one commented.

"Yes," the third one said. "too bad Miss Tron and Master Teisel weren't here to see it..."

"Hmm." The second one made an affirmative sound, with his head buried in a book.

"Hey, I have an idea!" The first one spoke again. "Let's make a Servbot orchestra! Then we can play to them inside the future New Gesellschaft!"

"Nice idea!" The third one agreed. "Miss Tron will be very proud of us! And Master Teisel likes this kind of music. I saw he has CDs with music by someone named J. S. Bach..."

The studious Servbot spoke. "I read that listening to classical music helps children to develop better. It'll be good for Master Bon too!"

"Yes! Then let's make a plan!" The third one said, then they began to discuss their plan.

* * *

"Great show. It's impressive how art from so long ago was able to survive until today, isn't it?" A man spoke to Geetz.

"... Yes." The Servitor answered, still lost in thought.

The man spoke more, while Geetz just half-listened, agreeing with a few things.

"Please excuse me." Geetz stood up and began walking away. He intended to stay alone for a bit and organize his thoughts. He saw Sera with Rock near the orchestra members. Usually, he would put his mistress first like his duty dictated, but this time, for some reason he considered Sera to be safe enough in Rock's presence and simply let them be. Geetz was also taken aback by the Carbons' performance, still lost in thought after recalling the same event that Sera had. Although it seemed pointless at the time, watching a Carbon's orchestra proved to be quite entertaining. They could have come to see it (or a similar one) under different circumstances, with Sera, Trigger, and maybe the Master if they found a way to make him adapt to Terra's environment. But that wasn't what happened. _Why did it have to come to this?_

X:X:X:X:X

"This is Mistress Sera, the Mother Unit in charge of Elysium's System. And this is Geetz, her Servitor Unit." The Master introduced them to the newest First Class Purifier. "Your rank is right between those two."

"Hi!" The Purifier smiled at them. He was in his navy blue armor. He still didn't wear the crystal pendant at the time.

"State your mission." Sera commanded.

"My mission is to serve the Master." He was acting serious, speaking in an automatic fashion as if reciting something from a book. "To use my skill in favor of the System, and to eliminate any threats to it. Oh, and..." He paused, looking like he had forgotten the "script." "... Ah! And if Reaverbots from the Elder System decide to come out, I'll go to Terra and eliminate them too! ... And..." He looked unsure, noticing that Sera still waited for him to say something. "Uh... Um...?"

"Your designation." She pressed.

"Ah, right!" He grinned, his serious mask cracking completely. "I'm First Class Purifier Unit Rockman Trigger. Nice to meet you!" He gave a slight bow, accompanied by a smile. "... Well, that's a bit too long, so you can just call me 'Trigger!'"

"Of course," Sera said. They wouldn't keep calling him by his full designation the whole time.

"Welcome to Elysium's ranks, Master Trigger." Geetz spoke.

"Hm? Thanks." It looked like he was displeased with something.

"Now I need to discuss a few things with Sera." The Master turned to the Servitor. "Geetz, could you please show Trigger around?"

"Yes, as you wish." Geetz answered, bowing respectfully.

"Trigger, do you mind?" The Master asked.

"No problem. See you later, then!" Trigger made a goodbye gesture towards the two before approaching Geetz. "Let's go!"

They walked a bit.

"Master Trigger..." Geetz began, but the Purifier cut him off.

"Hey, I told you to just call me 'Trigger!'"

"I am following protocol." The Servitor justified himself. "It states that I should refer to you as such, as I am one position below you in the hierarchy."

"But it's weird!" The Purifier protested. "Think about it. You can't call me 'Master,' because there's also the Master. And the Master is... The Master, you know! It'll only get confusing!"

"I apologize. Rules are rules." Geetz said firmly, without even thinking.

Trigger wasn't satisfied, but didn't insist.

They continued their tour of Elysium, with Trigger acting all friendly and cheerful towards the other Units. He didn't seem to have authority over them at all.

* * *

Geetz hadn't liked Trigger much, and soon discovered that Sera shared the same feeling. That couldn't be said for the Master, though. Trigger constantly followed the man around, but instead of considering him a nuisance, the Master even seemed happy to have the Purifier in his presence. Geetz couldn't understand why.

It wasn't long until Sera noticed unusual behavior from the Purifier and began reprimanding him.

"Remember." She spoke in an authoritative tone. "The Master is the only true human remaining. We were created solely to serve him. Our existence carries no other purpose." She gave a pause. "We must do everything in our power to ensure the Master's safety and well-being."

Normally, when other Units received a lecture from her, they apologized and promised that the incident wouldn't be repeated. However, instead of doing that, Trigger dared to argue back. "But that's what I was trying to do! The Master said..."

Sera interrupted him. "Humans were known to be unstable, and to say strange things sometimes. Being a human, the Master is also susceptible to such instability. Whenever he displays unusual behavior, just ignore him." She signaled with her hand, indicating the end of the meeting. "You are dismissed."

Trigger walked away, murmuring something like, "But he wasn't acting strange..."

Geetz approached his mistress when they were alone in the room. Despite not usually showing his impressions of his superiors, this time he made his displeasure known. "I do not understand. Why does the Master allow someone like that to be constantly in his presence?"

Sera hesitated. "The Master is the last one of his kind. He probably feels... Lonely. He is displaying more unusual behavior as time progresses. We must take care to ensure his mental health is preserved. That is why we must work hard to serve him as best as possible."

* * *

There was an Irregular hunting mission shortly after. Geetz and Sera had thought that the new Purifier wouldn't last long, but to their surprise, he proved to be quite skilled in battle.

The following day, Sera was working at her computers, analyzing the reports from that mission. Light from the artificial sun entered through the window, reflecting right on the screen in front of her. When asked about it, she said it wasn't important, but it seemed to affect her concentration somewhat, and that bothered Geetz. Since his presence wasn't required at the moment, the Servitor let her be, since she preferred to work alone. He was walking aimlessly when he heard Trigger's voice.

"Hey, Geetz!" The Purifier approached. "Huh, what's wrong? You look worried."

"It is nothing of importance." Geetz quickened his pace, not in the mood to put up with that Purifier's nonsense.

"Of course it is, or you wouldn't be this distressed!" Trigger insisted, walking faster to catch up. "What happened? ... Does it have anything to do with Mistress Sera?"

"...!" That was spot on. It even made Geetz stop walking.

"You're very dedicated to her. If something happens to her, it worries you." Trigger answered the unspoken "how did you know?" question. "Am I right?"

"... Yes." Geetz had to admit that Trigger was smart.

"What happened?" Trigger went back to the question.

"... She says it is unimportant."

"But it's worrying you. So...?" Trigger waited for an answer, but none came. "Alright, if you don't want to tell me, then you could tell it to someone else..." He clasped his hands. "Yeah! That's it! Why don't you talk to the Master?"

"What!?" Geetz found it absurd. No Unit dared to talk to the Master about things outside of their assigned tasks. "No, I cannot do that."

"Why not?"

"The Master must not be bothered with such insignificant matters!"

"Oh, come on." Trigger shrugged. "He'll be happy to see that you want his advice. Let's go!"

"Ah! Master Trigger!" Geetz was dragged to the direction of the Master's house.

Trigger rang the doorbell, while Geetz was already preparing to excuse himself, sure that it wasn't a good idea.

"Hi Master!" Trigger greeted when the door was opened.

"Oh, hello." The man welcomed them both with a smile.

Trigger went straight to the point. "Master, Geetz is having a problem and needs some advice. I thought you could help."

"Of course. What is the problem?" The Master turned to Geetz.

"I-it is nothing of much importance..." Geetz faltered.

"It must be important, since it is bothering you." Was the Master's answer.

"Yeah, that's what I said." Trigger grinned.

"Well..." Geetz explained the problem.

"Hmm." The Master was thoughtful. "Can I go there and take a look?" The Master offered.

Geetz did a double take. "I am sorry for wasting your time with such an insignificant matter. Huh...? Wait, do you mean... Would you, really...?"

"Yes, of course."

When they arrived there, Sera had already left.

"Ah, I see." The Master took in the situation. "Since when did you notice that her concentration was being affected?"

"Since the last time the room's layout changed. Or, to be more precise, three years, two months, twenty five days, and..."

The Master cut him off. "You could have raised this question sooner."

"A-apologies. Mistress Sera stated it was not important enough to require intervention."

"Well, let's see..." The Master considered what to do. "We can install a curtain on this window. I will ask the worker Units to take the necessary measures."

"Thank you very much." Geetz bowed.

"See?" Trigger had a triumphant grin. "Told you that the Master could help!"

When Sera arrived the next day, she quickly noticed the difference. "A curtain?"

"Yes. It was the Master's decision." Geetz quickly said in his defense.

"... The... Master's?" Instead of a reprimand like Geetz expected, Sera got really surprised and was almost speechless.

"Yes."

Sera began her work, still surprised. Geetz observed for a while. Satisfied with the result, he left. Trigger and the Master awaited him outside.

"How did it go?" The Master asked.

"She seems to be doing better indeed. I give you my most sincere thanks, Master."

"It was no problem."

"Glad that it was sorted out!" Trigger said.

"Sera deserves it," The Master added. "She works so hard... I just think she could care more about her own comfort sometimes." He changed the subject. "By the way, if you find any other problem, please tell me. I will do whatever I can. You all do so much for me, it is only fair for me to help you back."

Even after that, Geetz avoided bothering the Master about small problems, although whenever Trigger found out that something was wrong, there was no escape.

* * *

Time passed. There were more missions. Trigger always invited the other Units (including Yuna and Gatts when they were present) to celebrate their successes. Everyone was reluctant at first, but they loosened up little by little. In those meetings, Geetz noticed many traits that made each one of them unique individuals, as opposed to the mere servants they were believed to be. Those were quite enjoyable moments, and made Geetz feel a little guilty. From his understanding, the Master was the only one who could have those luxuries, while they were there just to serve him. There was nothing in the rules concerning the Units' well-being, so he concluded that they didn't have that right. Yet, the Master was present in those meetings, but instead of disapproving of them, he seemed amused to see the Units having fun and talking more to each other. Sera refused to join them. She always said that she had more important matters to attend to (which she probably did), so she was never present. Sometimes, Geetz wondered if his mistress also had unrevealed traits like the others.

And there was Trigger. That Purifier was a strange one. No matter how many times he was reprimanded by Sera, he didn't change his ways. He acted like the stereotypical rebellious Carbon teenager. From refusing to wear his helmet during missions, to arguing with Sera, his behavior was anything but normal. However, he had different views of many subjects, raising questions that no other Unit had ever thought of. Geetz had to admit that the Purifier was good company, although he had never talked about that to Sera, since he knew she still had a strong dislike for Trigger. It got to the point that she was losing her temper with Trigger more often than not. That made Geetz fear that she would label the Purifier as an Irregular. The Servitor even covered for him a few times when Trigger failed to follow orders.

* * *

Years passed. Either during missions or due to becoming Irregulars, most Bureucratics and Purifier Units had been destroyed. There was only one of each remaining. Respectively, Juno who was on Terra, in charge of an island called Kattelox, and Trigger who was (or rather, should have been) on Elysium. Construction of new Units was about to start, however there was no time, because the worst happened: Geetz's fears had come true. The only Purifier Unit remaining, Rockman Trigger, had been declared an irregular.

"What? You let him escape!?" Sera raised her voice, glaring threateningly at all assembled lesser Units.

The Units looked uneasily at each other, then one of then spoke. "... We apologize, but there was nothing we could do."

Another one risked speaking. "He is a first class Purifier! We would not have any chance!"

"You..." Sera's glare intensified. It seemed like fire would come out of her red eyes. "He kidnapped the Master! That is an atrocious crime. And you are accomplices to that!" She suddenly activated her battle armor and made everyone step back in fear. "In the name of the Master and the System, I hereby declare all of you as Irregulars, and shall terminate you right now!"

"Mistress Sera!" Geetz gasped in horror. He had never seen his mistress that furious.

"Geetz!" She directed her glare at him.

"... Yes." He flinched, something that didn't happen often.

"Head to Terra and go after him. I will deal with these Irregulars personally."

"Yes, Mistress Sera." He quickly headed out of the room, set to do as ordered. He had a pang on his heart thinking of what would become of the remaining Units, but had to put the thought away. His mission was first priority.

Thus, Elysium effectively became devoid of life, subject to the Mother Unit's fury...

* * *

In his combat form, Geetz intercepted the shuttle occupied by Trigger and the Master. He pursued them for a while until Trigger realized they couldn't escape, partly because he was fully aware his piloting skills weren't that great. He landed the shuttle on top of a mountain, came out, and began to fight back.

"Why?" Geetz asked. "Why are you doing this? Why did you kidnap the Master!?"

He didn't recall what the answer was. He only remembered that it made no sense. They continued fighting, with Geetz constantly getting distracted by the memories of their enjoyable moments on Elysium. "Master Trigger. Don't you realize the stupidity of your actions? Open your eyes!"

They traded some more blows, and Geetz began to realize he, too, didn't have a chance against a First Class... No, the only First Class Purifier remaining, and **the strongest of them**.

"Master Trigger..." Geetz spoke with difficulty. "Mistress Sera declared all Units on Elysium as Irregulars... Because they allowed your escape."

"What?" Trigger was taken aback.

"She said she would terminate all of them... And she will wish to terminate you as well. As her Servitor Unit, my duty dictates that I should assist her! ... However... I... I am probably not allowed to say this but... I do not wish to see you terminated!"

"Geetz..."

"There is still time. Please, take the Master back to Elysium! I do not wish to fight you..." Geetz pleaded, even though Sera was unlikely to forgive Trigger even if the Master was brought back.

Trigger smiled. "I also don't want to fight you. That's why..." His face became serious all of a sudden. "I'm sorry!"

Trigger let a well placed Buster shot that landed a critical hit and sent Geetz plummeting down the mountain.

* * *

"Geetz."

"M-Mistress..." Geetz woke up in his humanoid form, very damaged and without enough energy to assume his combat form.

"The worst has happened." Sera said in a grave tone. "The Master... The Master is dead. I knew Trigger would become an Irregular sooner or later..."

Geetz was shocked. All his efforts meant nothing. It was too late.

"Do you know what that means?" She didn't wait for an answer. "The last human is dead. It is time to run the Carbon Reinitialization Program. However, we need the Master's genetic code to restore the original humans. Trigger must have information on it or, if we are lucky, he may have the code itself."

"A-apologies, Mistress... I am still not in c-condition to fight." He was having problems to even speak, much less fight.

"Well. Then stay here recovering. I will deal with him myself." Sera simply turned her back and left her battered Servitor Unit on the ground.

Geetz couldn't stay attentive for long, because his consciousness soon blacked out.

* * *

The next time Geetz woke up, he still wasn't fully recovered, but he felt much better. Though he had no idea of how much time had passed, he decided to head in the direction Sera had gone. There was lots of destruction in his way. He walked until he saw... "Mistress Sera!"

He hurried to his mistress' side. She was unconscious. Her battle armor was broken to pieces and her shell had sustained serious damage, but she would recover with time. Geetz sighed in relief. More at ease, he decided to take a better look at his surroundings. That was when an high-pitched shrill got his attention.

"What... Was that?" He inspected the scenery more closely and found something he hadn't expected: a baby was curled into a ball some distance away, shivering with the cold due to not wearing anything. "A... Carbon?" What was a Carbon baby doing there, out of all places?

Geetz approached and gasped. Next to the baby was the container he knew housed the Master's genetic code, along with the chain necklace that Trigger always wore, except it was broken and the crystal pendant was missing.

Geetz examined the genetic code container. "It is empty..."

Drawn by his voice, the baby uncurled, looking at him curiously. Geetz's red eyes met the baby's green ones. Suddenly he had a pang on his heart and the feeling that he knew who exactly that baby was. "This... Cannot be..."

Incredulous, Geetz used his Reaverbot eye to scan the boy. It was hard to identify anything, and he only did by sheer insistence. That boy wasn't a Carbon, but an Unit, made in Elysium. More specifically, an Unit based on the Rockman technology. There was no configuration and his memory was blank, indicating that he had just been reset, probably because there wasn't enough material for his original body to regenerate. His programs had been altered a lot, mainly due to the Master's DNA patterns mixed in, which also altered how his body looked. Except for his green eyes (and of course his size), his appearance was all wrong. His hair became brown as if it's dark-red had mixed with the yellow from the Master's hair. His skin got a light tone similar to the Master's. However, there was no doubt. That baby could only be one person.

"M-Master Trigger?" Geetz spoke, still incredulous. "Why did you do this? Why did you go so far? You even absorbed the Master's genetic code! Why did you..." Geetz trailed off as the baby smiled. Accusing that little boy of killing the Master just didn't feel right. "No..." Geetz shook his head. Talking was futile since his questions wouldn't be answered. Geetz's mission was to assist in terminating the Irregulars. Trigger was there right in front of him, in a fragile body, with no memories and no configuration, completely vulnerable. Terminating him should be a really simple task, yet Geetz couldn't bring himself to do it. "No, I cannot... I cannot do this..." The Servitor whispered, his resolve breaking completely.

Then, a robotic monkey came running dragging a piece of cloth gotten from who knows where. It draped the cloth around the baby's body and earned a grateful cooing.

Soon after that, came Gatts. "Geetz, please stay away from Master Trigger!"

So, Gatts - and probably Yuna - already knew of that baby's true identity. Geetz decided to unleash his power on Gatts instead. They fought. And as Geetz still wasn't in good shape, coupled with the distracting turmoil in his mind, it is easy to guess who had won...

X:X:X:X:X

Geetz sighed, like he did every time he recalled that event. Sera had declared all those Units Irregulars and terminated them herself, knowing that they had let Trigger escape. She probably thought the Purifier was dead. What would she do to him if she found out that he had done that, too? What if she discovered that he had thrown away the perfect opportunity for eliminating Trigger?

He was distracted, walking aimlessly through the rooms in the Sulphur-Bottom. Without warning, a small brown and yellow blur zoomed past him and caught his attention. Geetz was alert immediately. Was he imagining things? He quickened the pace towards the direction the blur had gone. Sure enough, there it was! On closer inspection, he saw a little robotic monkey jumping around with a plate full of sweets. It was exactly like the robotic monkey he had seen with Trigger! Was it coincidence? Geetz followed the monkey from a distance until it stopped near a table where a blonde girl was seated.

"Thanks Data." The girl took the plate from the little robot's hands. "Next time you carry something, please can you do it without jumping around? Look at this!" She pointed at the various fragments of sweets on the ground, disapproval evident on her face. "Mister Bluecher will get angry at us..."

Data began gesturing and making noises, but when he saw the "Ancient" approaching, he quickly scurried off to another room, although not before retrieving all the fallen sweets in his way and stuffing them into his mouth.

"Oh, hi!" Roll waved, also noticing him.

"Ah... Hello. Good evening." Geetz wasn't expecting to be addressed, but since he was, that was his opportunity to ask about that monkey. He walked to the table the girl was seated at, and was offered to sit on the chair across from her.

"My name is Roll. Roll Caskett. Nice to meet you."

"Caskett? So you are the granddaughter Professor Barrell spoke so highly of."

"Haha, did he?" She was embarrassed by his polite words. "Um, you are one of those... People from the past, right?"

"Correct. My name is Geetz. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He bowed slightly.

"Um..." Roll didn't know what to say before his politeness.

"Excuse me. Was that monkey robot... Yours?"

"Ah, Data?" She spoke, recomposing herself. "Yeah, he's with us."

Geetz considered how he should pose his question. "This is a bit sudden and may sound odd... But do you know anyone by the name 'Trigger?'"

"Huh? Trigger? ... No, sorry. Never heard of anyone with that name."

"Oh." He seemed disappointed.

"But why are you asking me this?" As expected, she found it strange.

"I apologize for such a sudden question. I simply asked because last time I met him, he was with a monkey robot similar to that one."

"Similar to Data?"

"Yes. That is why I thought... That perhaps..."

"Oh. I understand." She looked at him sympathetically. By the man's disappointed look, that "Trigger" must have been an important person to him. "Was he one of the past people too?"

"Yes."

Her eyes widened. "Do you mean there might be more people from the past around besides you two?"

"I believe so."

"Wow..." Roll was intrigued. "Um... This 'Trigger...' What kind of person was he?"

"Well..." When Geetz noticed, he was already talking. "He was part of the same... Organization as us. His rank was just below Mistress Sera and above me."

"Oh, so he was an authority, then?"

"Yes. He was a talented fighter, and the best when it came to his job, which was basically... Stopping Reaverbot outbreaks."

"Hmm." Roll listened attentively.

"Outside of his duties however, he was also... One of a kind."

"Huh?" Roll raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"He was... Cheerful, rather talkative, and easily got along with most. Very different than the other authorities."

"Hmm! Sounds like a very nice person!" She smiled.

"... Yes." Geetz had a distant look. "Before we got imprisoned in that island, there was a ferocious battle, which left him in deplorable conditions... The last time I saw him, he was being tended to by the monkey robot, and was nearly unrecognizable..." He recalled Trigger's baby form.

"Hhh!" Roll covered her mouth in horror imagining the person's condition, unaware that it wasn't exactly what Geetz had meant.

"I have reasons to think he is still alive, although he would need a serious amount of time to recover, probably years..." He trailed off, seeing Roll's horrified expression being replaced with a bright smile. "Hm?"

"Don't worry. You'll find him, I'm sure. From what you said, it sounded like you really care about him, and that he's a very good person. I'm sure he'd give his best to recover from whatever condition he was in, knowing that he has good friends that believe in him so much, like you."

Geetz didn't know what to say. While that girl's words had no logic whatsoever, they seemed promising for some reason. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, just..." Roll closed her eyes and smiled. "Woman's intuition."

"Oh." As illogical as it was, he couldn't argue with that, could he? He had heard from the Master that said ability was very dangerous. He thought that it was exclusive to the true humans, and never imagined that the Carbons would be able to develop it. On the other hand, he would be in deep trouble if it became apparent that Mistress Sera was also capable of using it...

"Everything will be fine." Roll assured him once more.

"... Hmm... Thank you for listening." He stood up. "I apologize for taking your time, as well as any inconvenience this conversation may have caused."

"No problem. It was nice talking to you. And you don't need to be so formal all the time, you know." She also stood up. "Guess I'll look for Data now. I hope he isn't causing trouble. See you around!"

Geetz left that room with even more questions than when he had entered. He didn't know what made him talk so openly with that Carbon girl, but somehow, he was glad to have been able to tell someone about his views on Trigger. The only person he had for company was Mistress Sera, who had a clear dislike for the Purifier ever since. There was also the fact that he avoided talking to her about matters outside the scope of his work.

Roll's words still nagged him. "... it sounded like you **really care** about him, and that he's a very good person. I'm sure he'd give his best to recover from whatever condition he was in, knowing that he has good **friends** that believe in him so much, like **you**."

Did he care about Trigger that much? His job was first priority, and he had the obligation to assist in terminating Irregular units. But even after Trigger was labeled as an Irregular, Geetz was unable to think of him as an enemy. Then, what was it supposed to mean? For him, there were only superiors and subordinates. "Friendship" was an alien word to him, because it was outside the scope of his work. Could he consider the Purifier as a friend? Did Trigger consider him as one? Geetz's attention was grabbed by a clock on a wall. It was past ten. Which reminded him. What century was it? His internal clock was wrong. After he awoke from stasis, it remained on the date he had been sealed. How much time had passed since then? He walked more until he located a wall with a calendar, and his mouth gaped. They were sealed in stasis for around 200 years! Many things could have taken place during all this time. He and Sera were finally awake, but what about Trigger? What did Yuna do to him? Would he be still alive? If so, would he still be around after all this time, or had Yuna sealed him like she did to them? So many questions... Geetz wanted some time to think, preferably away from the noises of the party. He decided to breathe some fresh air outside. Noticing that the guards were distracted, seeming bored due to not being able to enjoy the party with the others, Geetz snuck out of the ship. There, he stayed observing the night sky. So many stars. He couldn't explain, but it was very different from the artificial starred sky they could see from Elysium. It had more... Life, he supposed. Maybe it was expected to have defining features. It was the real deal, after all.

"Quite the sight, isn't it?" A voice brought him out of his contemplation.

He turned, not expecting to have been found. Looking at him was a woman with short blonde hair, which reminded him of Roll somewhat. It was the same person he saw talking to Gatts when he and Sera were awoken from stasis. In other words... "Mistress Yuna?"

"Oh, what a surprise. I didn't expect you still would recognize me."

"I have seen your interaction with Gatts." He pointed out.

"No, what I meant is, I didn't think you'd still acknowledge me as a Mother Unit, now that I'm in a Carbon's shell."

"Which reminds me. Why did you exchange your shell for a Carbon's?"

"Actually, it was an accident. I tried to save her from dying, but her condition was so bad that I used too much of my energy trying to help her, and my programs ended up being transferred to her body. My original shell got too damaged. It can't be fixed unless I go back to Elysium and use its maintenance machines... There are some... Other factors too, and I guess I'll have to stay here for a while longer."

A flurry of thoughts passed through Geetz's head. It was Yuna. She and Gatts were the only leads he had. She was right there. It was the perfect opportunity to get answers. "Mistress Yuna..."

"What is it?"

"Since my last confront with Gatts, what has become of Master Trigger?"

"Hmm. Oh yes, you had seen his state that time..." She paused, considering what to say. "Well, I sealed him, like what I did to you."

"Where did you seal him?" Geetz didn't pose questions to his superiors boldly like that. Maybe it was due to Yuna's Carbon appearance that made her not look like his superior, or maybe it was something else. When he noticed, the words had already left his mouth.

"I placed him in a ruin somewhere." She was purposefully vague. "Sorry, but I won't reveal anything else. I still want to understand what really happened. Having been reset, with memories or not, he's the key to finding out what was the Master's true wish, and I can't risk having you and Sera destroying my only lead."

"You are not the only one wishing to know the truth. I am as well."

Yuna was thoughtful. "Hmm, '**I**,' not '**we**...?' Do you mean Sera isn't included? ... Ah, I see. You didn't tell her that you failed to end his life, did you?"

"..." Geetz didn't say anything, but his expression was enough confirmation.

They stared into each other's eyes for a bit. Yuna was the one to break the silence. "Sorry Geetz, my point still stands."

"Mistress Yuna..."

She waved a hand. "You should go back inside that ship. It won't be good if anyone notices your absence."

The Servitor wanted to insist, but he had to agree and break his gaze. At least now he knew that Trigger was alive. "Yes, I will take my leave. Thank you for your time." Geetz turned and began to walk.

"By the way!" Yuna spoke, making him stop and turn around to face her again. "That suit is nice on you." She said with a grin.

"M-Mistress Yuna..." He looked a bit flustered.

"Hee hee hee hee!" Yuna giggled. "It seems they're having some special event inside. I wish I could see what Sera's wearing... I hope they had picked something really cute for her! ... Ah, sorry, I shouldn't delay you more. Now go!"

Geetz turned and resumed his course.

Yuna murmured, when the Servitor was out of sight and earshot. "It looks like your influence still has effect on him. Since those parties on Elysium, I began to believe that there are more to us Units than the specifications say. And here I am, out of my original shell and free from the System's influence. It's a whole new experience that I wish they could also have. If there's someone that can make those two open their eyes, it's you, even if you don't have your memories. It'd be really nice if this could end without another fight... Is that too much to hope for? I don't know. But I'm betting all my cards on you, Trigger."

* * *

Sera and Rock had distanced from the orchestra and were leaving the room. Sera recalled the orchestra member saying that Rock had fought the pirates alone. She wondered what was the extent of that boy's power. After all, he was able to bypass the System's security, both in Forbidden Island and the ruins with the first key. His looks didn't give any hint that he could fight at all. However, looks could be deceiving, as she had learned after watching the first mission completed by Trig...

"Sera?"

"... Hmm?" She jumped and widened her eyes. Rock was asking something.

"They said they'll begin doing performances on other islands. If Roll and Gramps want, we can go watch their shows again. I was asking you if you'd come with us." He explained everything, as if he knew that she hadn't heard anything.

"... Maybe." Probably not, since she planned to run the Reinitialization shortly, but she wouldn't say that. Her answer seemed to satisfy him, at least.

"I hope you're still around when the next performance comes. Ah, and do you think Geetz liked it too? ... Speaking of him, where's he?" Rock took Sera back to where they had been seated. "He isn't here... Let's wait a bit to see if he comes back. If he doesn't, we can look for him."

They waited. Rock tried to start a conversation, but Sera didn't make it any easy. They stayed there for around fifteen minutes, however there was no sign of the Servitor. Sera was getting worried. Whenever Geetz had to leave, he usually told her beforehand.

Rock noticed Sera's impatient looks and stood up. "Wait here. I'll take a quick look around."

He left in a brisk pace, coming back a few minutes later. "Sorry, I didn't find him."

Sera sighed.

"Don't worry. He must be out there just enjoying the party." Rock spoke reassuringly. "By the way, that's what we should also be doing. Let's go. Maybe we'll run into him on the way."

Sera was "dragged" once more. Again, Rock took her by the hand, as though he were guiding a little child. Of course, she wasn't pleased. "Could you let go of my hand, please?"

"Sorry. I don't want to lose you in the middle of the crowd, then have to find you too. Finding Geetz is hard enough already."

Sera bit her lip. He had a point.

They were walking through one of the corridors when Geetz finally appeared.

"There he is!" Rock pointed. "Told you we'd run into him on the way. Geetz!"

The Servitor straightened up his posture and approached them. When he saw his mistress, Yuna's words came to his mind, and he had to admit that Sera was cute in that outfit.

"Where have you been for all this time?" She asked in an authoritative tone and snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Ah... Apologies. I was only doing some research." He tried to justify himself.

"About?" His mistress wasn't satisfied.

"Time. How long it has been since them."

"You did not ask for permission!" She raised her voice.

"My apologies..." The Servitor looked very uncomfortable.

"Listen." Sera gave him a stern look. "Geetz, next time, you should..."

Rock raised a hand. "Hey, please, could you two stop arguing!? Everyone has misscommunication problems sometimes. That's normal! He's here now. Isn't that enough?"

Sera wanted to snap at Rock. Her discussion with her Servitor was none of his business. However, she decided to contain herself when she looked around and saw a few Carbons looking strangely at them. "So, how long?" She said in a calmer voice.

"Two centuries."

"I see." She looked unfazed.

On the other hand, Rock had gotten quite the shock. "... Two hundred years... It's... It's too much time..." He spoke in a near whisper. Just the thought scared him for some reason. He tried to recompose himself. "B-but... Do you count time differently than us? I mean, to have needed to go so out of the way like that..." He asked, almost blowing up Geetz's excuse unknowingly.

"N-no. By what I observed, it's the same."

"Oh..."

They resumed their walk. Much to Sera's displeasure, Rock kept pulling her by the hand. She threw a few glances at Geetz expecting him to get her away from the boy, since he usually didn't let anyone near her, but this time, the Servitor didn't show any sign of doing so.

"Rock, Rock!" They heard a feminine voice.

"Roll!" He directed the group towards her. "Geetz, Sera, this is Roll, my spotter, adoptive sister, and best friend."

"Actually, I met Geetz just a while back."

"Oh really?" Rock was surprised.

"Yes." The Servitor confirmed.

"Did you know?" Rock turned to Geetz. "She's a talented mechanic. I bring all sorts of broken things back from digs, and she uses them to make lots of technological stuff. Mostly weapons and digging equipment, but there're other things too. You'd be impressed! I can show you sometime!"

"Um," Roll began, diverting the attention from Rock's compliments toward her. "I was looking for Data. Have you seen him?"

"No." He answered. "Maybe he's after food? You know how he gets when he sees different kinds of food..."

"Yeah, maybe."

They walked some more, then grabbed a sandwich to eat. The "ancients" ate slowly and with a sparkle in their eyes. It was as though they never had a sandwich before.

"It's delicious, isn't it?" Roll smiled looking at them.

"Yes." Geetz answered. "Very different than what we had back where we lived. There, sandwiches were canned and made from artificial substances."

To Sera, Geetz was speaking too much. There was no need for him to be revealing that.

"... Wait, what? The bread was canned?" Rock found it strange.

"Yes."

Rock made a face which reminded Sera of when Trigger complained about the food they had. "You said coffee was artificial, and now sandwiches too? What kind of life were you living?"

"It was meant to be perfect. All the food was made with precision, and exactly the right amounts of nutrients."

"That doesn't sound good..."

"It was made to have nutritious value. Taste was a mere detail."

Rock made another face, and the argument went on. It was as bad as convincing Trigger to just eat and stop complaining about the taste or the limited food variety. Sera sighed. Indeed, that conversation was getting nowhere.

They finished their sandwiches.

"Well, Data wasn't here..." Roll sighed. "I'll keep looking for him."

"I'll help you." Rock offered.

"We will return to the room assigned to us." Geetz spoke. "Mister Rock, thank you for looking over Mistress Sera during my absence, even though it was not your obligation."

_It was __**your**__ obligation, Geetz! You should not have left in the first place!_ Sera thought, gritting her teeth. She breathed deeply, deciding to regard it as just Geetz acting polite in front of the Carbons.

"No problem." Rock smiled. "So now, we'll be off. See you!"

He disappeared with Roll in the midst of the crowd, while Sera and Geetz silently walked back to their assigned room.

* * *

A/n: in the game, the Sulphur-Bottom's background music is actually the first movement of "Spring" from Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons." Vivaldi was born in 1678 (so, 16XX), and the "Four Seasons" concertos are from around 1725 (17XX). Speaking of which, I'm doing some searching, trying to identify the classical songs used in the Dash/Legends series, but didn't have much luck. The ones I found so far are:

* "Suite for Orchestra in D Major No. 3, BWV 1068: II. Air on the G String," by Johann Sebastian Bach: plays in Kattelox museum.

* "Etude no. 3 in E Major, Op. 10 No. 3, "Tristesse," by Frédéric Chopin: used as a CD sample in the music store.

* "The Nutcracker Suite, Act I No. 8 - Waltz of the Flowers," by Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky: plays during the Balloon Fantasy minigame.

* "Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 in E-Flat Major," by Frédéric Chopin: a music box arrange of it plays in Roll's room inside the Flutter in the first game.

* "Little Fugue in G Minor, BWV 578," by Johann Sebastian Bach: used as Juno's theme.

* "The Four Seasons - Concerto no. 1 In E, RV 269 'Spring': I. Allegro," by Antonio Vivaldi: you should know where this is used by now :P .

Does anyone know of more? I think the music from the Beast Hunter minigame is classical too, but I have no idea of what/who/where. There's also the other sample CD from the music store (also known as the "Concert of Harpsichord"), and Teisel's theme (also known as "Teisel of the Gesellschaft") that (at least to me) sounds suspiciously like Bach (and considering that they seem to like Bach songs a lot)... But I looked up various Bach harpsichord concertos in Youtube and didn't find any of those :P . Maybe someone with a classical music background could chime in...?

I don't dare to theorize in which year Dash/Legends takes place. So, no mentions of dates.

In the English version, Gatts calls Rock "Master Trigger." I always thought that thing about the "Master" and "Master Trigger" is confusing. It's as if you're putting Trigger on the same level as the Master, who should be considered superior to everyone else there. In the Japanese version, it's "Trigger Sama" for Trigger, and "Master" (literally, the word in English) for the Master, making the distinction clear. In this story, I wanted the Servitors to call him something other than "Master Trigger," but "Master" is probably the word with the most accurate meaning to use, so it'll have to stay as it is (and why not make fun of it? ;) ).

More Elysium flashbacks, and the obligatory "we exist for only this purpose" speech.

I guess my changes to Trigger's personality (which influenced the other Units) caused Geetz to get a bit out of character... Well, this story is called "Trigger of Change" for a reason :P .

Okay, too much rambling already. I'll stop now...

... Or not.

Update (2014/10/31): I made another audio drama in Japanese. This time, it's the part about the Master's orchestra recording, starring an irritable Sera and a very loud Trigger, with the first movement of "Spring" and all. You can listen to it here:

aiyumi dot warpstar dot net / en / rockman / toc / drama # toc_ch002-the-masters-orchestra


	3. The Baby

Trigger of Change

Written by Aiyumi

Disclaimer: Rockman/Mega Man, as well as any other trademark that may be referenced in this fan fiction, are properties of their respective owners. I am just a fan and do not have any relations to said people/companies.

Chapter 3: The Baby

It turned out that Data was in the Flutter. After running into Geetz, he had gone straight back to the Flutter to hide. What if Geetz recognized him? Data wondered if he could convince Geetz that it was just a coincidence, or that he got separated from Trigger and had nothing to do with him anymore. But what about Rock? What if the Servitor associated him with Trigger? What if they decided to kill him!? Even though Rock was a skilled fighter, Data knew that he wasn't ready to face Mother Two again. Would it be better to find Rock and tell him to run? ... No, his appearance was considerably different from before, he acted very differently... He had changed enough. There was no reason for them to suspect anything.

"Ah, Rock..." Data sighed, hoping nothing bad was happening to his friend right now. He closed his eyes and began recalling his precious moments with Trigger.

X:X:X:X:X

When Data had opened his eyes for the first time, he was greeted by two figures.

"Hello," the taller one said. "Do you know who we are?"

The newly activated robot looked up the descriptions in his database. "Hmm, you're the Master, right?"

"We built you. Everyone calls me 'Master.' I programmed you," he said, not acknowledging Data's answer.

"And I helped with the design and features!" The other figure added.

Data turned to the person who had just spoken. "And you're my owner! First Class Purifier Unit Rockman Trigger, right?"

"Yep, that's right! But it's a bit too long, so..."

"Rock!" Data interrupted.

"Huh?" Trigger was confused.

"Can I call you 'Rock?' Can I?" The little monkey bounced in place.

"Why is that?"

"'**Rockman**,' so '**Rock**' for short!"

"Err, but I'm not the only Rockman."

"But you'll be the only Rock! So?"

"Hmm." Trigger was considering it.

"What is he saying?" The Master asked.

"Huh? Can't you hear him?"

"No, I can't. I know you just wanted a backup device, but I ended up implementing some extra features. I made it so that his speech is encoded. Only your hearing components can decode it. In other words, only you can understand what he says. Also, all his files are encrypted, making it difficult for anyone to scan him."

"Oh, cool! But why did you do all of that?"

"I have an important mission for you, Trigger. When you carry it out, I want you to have Data with you. I hope you will never need all those features, however, something tells me that you might."

"Hmm, A mission?" Trigger gave a curious look. "What is it?"

"Now is not the time for it yet."

"Hey!" Trigger protested. "How come you tease me about it, then leave it hanging like that?"

The Master chuckled, ruffling the Purifier's hair. "We can't begin it now. Other preparations are necessary." His expression became serious. "One more thing, Trigger."

"Huh?"

"Remember. We built Data with no one knowing. He is our secret project. Absolutely **no one** should know of his existence. Is that clear?"

"A secret, huh? Interesting! Okay Master, don't worry. I won't tell anyone." He turned to Data, grinning. "Alright! I'm liking this secret mission thing already. Data, you can call me that. It'll be my codename from now on!"

"Okay!" Data jumped happily. "Then nice to meet you, Rock!"

"What is he calling you?" The Master asked.

The Purifier grinned again. "It's a secret!"

Everyone laughed.

"I'll be glad to back up your memories, to keep the important moments you don't want to ever forget!"

"Thanks! Let's start with this one right now!" Trigger spoke excitedly, eager to test the backup features.

That was the day when Data performed his first backup.

* * *

The Master had made a crystal where Data would be kept hidden, which Trigger began carrying like a pendant. Whenever he was at the Master's house, far from anyone's sight, Trigger would release Data and they would play together frequently. Thus, time passed.

* * *

Data awoke to the familiar process of being released from the crystal. This time though, he felt uneasy. Something was different. Where was he? This was not the Master's house. He looked around, taking in all the destruction. The chain necklace snapped and had fallen next to Trigger, who was lying on the ground with his armor shattered and sparking all over the place, and parts of his body missing or broken beyond recognition. Data's expression turned into horror when he saw his owner's state. "Eeeeek! Rock! What happened to you!? Where's the Master?"

"Da... Data." The Purifier spoke with difficulty. It was a wonder he could still talk. "The Master's... gone."

"Huh? Gone? Gone to where?" The little monkey wasn't grasping the situation.

"Gone forever... The Master... Died." Trigger had to spell it out.

"What!?" Data was shocked.

"Y-eah, a-and I will too, if you d-don't help me..."

Data hopped closer, looking at his owner in concern. "What do you want me to do, Rock?"

"I still have a mission to c... Complete. The Master asked me to do it... But my body is too da-maged, and can't be fi-fixed. The only way I see... Is to... Reset it... And wait until it regenerates fully."

Realization dawned on Data. The reset. That was a process exclusive to the more advanced Units based on the Rockman technology. They were built from extremely rare materials with regenerative properties, and were capable of regrowing their bodies anew from small cell samples of themselves, if the original Unit were broken beyond repair. The materials used to build them were so rare that a reset was preferred over trying to fix them. The catch was that they would lose their configuration, and their new body could take years to grow up fully, depending on how much material was available. In Trigger's case, not much could be reused, so he probably would end up as a small child. Data didn't like the idea. "You want to be reset?" He shook his head. "No, no, no, no. That'll take too much time! ... And you'll forget everything! You won't even remember what the Master asked of you!"

"That's why I... I want you to... Backup my memory... First." Since Data didn't move, he added. "Please be quick. If I shut down now... I won't come back..."

"... O-Okay." The little monkey hesitated, but decided to comply. He touched Trigger's head with his tail. "How much do you want to back up?"

"... As much as possible."

"I can't take too much. You need to be selective! I'll show you the memories and you pick what you want."

As Data skimmed through the important events in Trigger's memories, he quickly realized why Trigger wanted the reset performed. The process took a while. Trigger chose things that he thought would convince himself to carry out his mission. Mostly conversations with the Master about Terra, their situation on Elysium and the other Units' behavior. Everyone he befriended (including Geetz), and his attempts at befriending Sera. Then they got to the most recent memories, about the Master's final moments, and the fight that followed. Obviously, that was very important. However...

"Rock! There isn't enough space!"

"Hmm. What else... Is in there?"

"Let's see... There's everything you backed up after we played at the Master's house!"

"... Delete that."

"Huh? But then you won't be able to remember the times we played together!" Data protested. "I don't want you to forget that!"

"I'm sorry."

"But Rock!" Data made a hurt expression.

"Data, p-please." Trigger said in a tired voice.

"... Okay." The little helper finally complied.

The backup was completed.

"Now, the... Reset." His helper didn't move. "Da-ta...!"

"R-Rock..." Tears had begun to form in Data's eyes. "I don't... I don't want you to go away!"

"I'm not... Going anywhere." Trigger tried to comfort him.

"You won't be the same!" Data whined. "You won't remember anything. You won't remember me..."

"Data... I-I'm sorry. Just hold on to the memories... For me until... I reco-ver, 'kay?"

"Hum..." Data finally conceded. "Okay, I'll begin."

The little monkey put his tail on Trigger's head again, concentrated and accessed the Purifier's internal programs. He activated the reset sequence and Trigger's body began to dissolve into a bright light. "... Rock! I don't want to say goodbye to you!"

"I told you... I'm not going... Anywhere. Just pretend I'm going to sleep now... Alright? Then... Good night."

"Rock!" Data had begun to panic at the prospect of not being able to see his friend anymore.

"Data... Thank... You..." Were Trigger's last words before his body dissolved completely and turned into a bright orb of energy.

Only then did Data notice something he hadn't before. A small container was resting on the ground. He analyzed its contents. "Ah! It's the Master's genetic code! We need to hide this from Mother Two! So, where do I put this? Rock, Rock!" He called in vain. Trigger couldn't respond anymore because the reset was taking place, and whatever materials remained from his body were concentrating into a smaller form. "Ah, here goes nothing!" Data made his decision and thrust the container's contents into the orb of energy. The orb absorbed them immediately.

A few minutes passed. Data held his breath, hoping that the reset had gone right. When the light faded, where Trigger lay previously, was a small baby with brown hair and a light skin tone. He looked like a one year old Carbon. That scared Data. Aside from the spiky hair, the baby didn't look like Trigger at all.

"R-Rock?" The helper took a hesitant step forward.

The baby opened his green eyes and smiled, dissipating Data's fears. It was him...

"Hi, Rock." The little monkey crept closer and spoke in a low voice. "I'm your friend. My name's Data. You probably don't remember, but it was you who gave me this name. I like it very much." He kept speaking, while the baby sat up and looked at him curiously. "You always took care of me when I was inside your pendant. Now, it's my turn to take care of you."

The baby extended his hands and began touching various points on the monkey robot's head. When he noticed other objects around, he stopped inspecting Data and began grabbing fragments of rubble from the ground.

"No, Rock! That's not food!" Data had to take the object away when the boy threatened to put it into his mouth. The baby wailed in response, trying to take the object back. "Okay, but don't put it in your mouth, alright?" Data gently allowed the piece of rubble back into the baby's hands.

The boy turned the object over a few times, then dropped it to the ground, already interested in something else.

Data was thinking about what to do next. Where were they going to hide? How were they supposed to keep on living? It would be some twenty years until the Purifier's body regenerated fully. Would he have to raise Rock all by himself? That thought was scary... While he was distracted, the baby had already toddled a considerable distance away.

"Wait, where are you going?" Data hurried to catch up. "Gah!" He gasped. Just a bit farther, Sera was lying on the ground, unconscious. Her battle armor had deactivated. Most of it retracted back into her shell and couldn't be seen, but it was so damaged that many of its fragments got ripped off and didn't assimilate back into her system. They accumulated on the ground and added to the destruction on the scenery. Sera's body was also very damaged, although not as severely as Trigger's. The boy was going straight towards her! "No, Rock, not there! Come back here!" He made a huge effort to pull the boy away from her. "Listen. We need to get out of here and find somewhere to stay. Come on!" Data dragged him with difficulty while he cried, still not giving up on approaching Sera.

The baby was still crying when they got back to where the reset had taken place. Trying to distract him, Data handed him the empty DNA container. It worked. The boy gradually stopped crying and curiously examined, turned, opened, and closed the container several times. This went on until he got tired and began showing signs of sleepiness. Data laid him down and caressed his head until he fell asleep. The sun was setting and nightfall brought a bit of cold. The baby wasn't wearing anything and began to shiver. Data hugged him in hopes of giving him some warmth, but he soon noticed it wouldn't be enough. Trigger couldn't stay like that for long. Thinking on what to do and looking around, Data saw a town's lights in the distance. He decided to head there and see if he could find something that could be used as a blanket. It was hard for him to walk while dragging Trigger, so he decided to go there by himself. He hoped to be quick and that the boy didn't wake up while he was away.

That wasn't what happened, of course. It took a while until Data found a piece of cloth. When he came back, he almost panicked. The boy was not only awake, but Geetz, of all people, was standing there observing him, too! Data draped the cloth over the baby's body and tried to pull him away once more.

"Geetz, please stay away from Master Trigger!" Data heard Gatts' voice.

_Oh no. They already know about us..._ Data thought. "Rock, we need to hide! Let's get out of here!" The little monkey dragged the boy with difficulty, while the Servitor Units backed away and began fighting each other.

The duo didn't get very far, though.

"Now now, what do we have here..." It was Mother One!

The helper robot used all his strength to keep them moving, while the boy just looked around curiously, wailing because Data wouldn't let him see anything.

"Rock, move...!" Data protested at his partner's lack of cooperation.

Yuna crouched to their level, then addressed the boy. "Hmm, Gatts told me that you reset your body and absorbed the Master's genetic code. You're looking rather cute now, Trigger. Well, not that you weren't before..."

The boy stopped his eyes on her when his name was mentioned.

"I wonder why you had to go so far..." Yuna ruffled his hair, earning a smile in return. She giggled. "As for you," she looked at Data. "I don't think we've met before. Gatts saw you perform the reset. Who, or what are you?"

"Aaah!" Data yelped when Yuna gently separated him from Trigger and began trying to scan him. While he squirmed against her, the boy took the opportunity to drag himself away. "Rock! Rock! Come back here! Rock!" Data called in vain.

Minutes passed. Yuna was unable to get past Data's encryption and gave up. That was when Gatts came.

"Mistress Yuna. I was successful in incapacitating Geetz."

"Good." She nodded.

Data was still in Yuna's arms, with his ears down. He stayed quiet, since there was nothing he could do besides waiting for her to give up.

"This is the monkey robot that was with Master Trigger." Gatts noted.

"Exactly. I could see that he's an external memory storage device. Do you know what this means?"

"Oh..." Her Servitor widened his eyes in realization. "Even after the reset, Master Trigger will be able to recover his memories and resume whatever he was doing. Could it mean that the Master's kidnapping was planned all along?"

"Probably," she said.

"So Master Trigger even predicted the possibility of a reset?"

"Trigger? I don't know. He didn't seem one to plan ahead like that. Chances are that it **wasn't his plan**."

"Then, whose plan would it be?"

Her expression darkened. "I tried to scan him," she indicated Data. "but his files are heavily encrypted. All I could get is that he was made using Elysium's resources. His encryption is very strong and his internal design is really complex. Trigger was neither a designer nor a programmer to begin with. There's no way that he could have created something as complex as this... No, there was only one person on Elysium with the skill level to do that."

"What? So you mean..." Gatts found himself astounded at Yuna's implication.

"Yes. This little robot could only have been built by the Master himself. The Master was a genius programmer and designer. He was the one who created us, after all."

"This... Cannot be..." The Servitor was still incredulous. "So the Master was the one to plan all of this? Was he planning to go against his own System? To throw his life away? For what purpose?"

"Well, I'm sure the answer is right here." She tapped on Data's head. "We'll have to wait for Trigger to recover and get his memories back. That's probably the only way for us to know, I'm afraid."

Data felt somewhat relieved. At least Yuna and Gatts weren't wanting to kill Trigger. Maybe he could trust them.

"Speaking of Master Trigger, where is he?"

"Ah!" Yuna widened her eyes. "Oh no. I was so busy scanning the memory device that I forgot about him! He still can't walk, so he couldn't have gone very far..."

The three went off searching. To Data's dismay, the boy was once again back at where they had started, trying to poke Sera awake, out of all things! Data froze when Elysium's Mother Unit half opened one eye and slightly turned her head towards the boy. The Purifier baby smiled, unaware of the danger he was in. It was a relief when her eye closed back and she went still.

Yuna was amused. "Oh, so even now you insist on trying to get close to Sera? I see. Hmm, she even looks more peaceful now..." Yuna approached and picked the boy up, getting some wailing as protest. "Don't worry. She'll be fine. Gatts and I will take care of her, okay?"

Data was surprised that this was enough for the boy to calm down. Yuna dealt with him much more easily than Data ever could. She wasn't called a "Mother" Unit for nothing...

A few minutes later, Yuna had put Trigger to sleep.

"What should we do now, Mistress?" Gatts asked.

"Observe how the Carbons are developing, maybe?"

"... The Carbons?"

"Yes. I remember Trigger saying that the Master had a habit of observing the Carbons. Maybe that has something to do with his final decision. It might be worth taking some time to observe them more closely." She turned to Data. "I'll be sealing Geetz and Sera away. We need to make sure they won't find you, at least until Trigger recovers fully. I still need to see if the conditions here on Terra are suitable for Trigger to develop properly. Sorry, I'll also have to seal you two in the meantime."

Data nodded in understanding.

Thus, Sera and Geetz were sealed on the island that later would be known as "Forbidden Island," while Data and Trigger were sent to Nino Ruins.

* * *

"Ah! What is this!?" An old man gasped in surprise when the seal crystal melted. "A baby and a... Robot? What's a baby with a monkey robot doing inside the ruins! ?"

The boy panicked at the unfamiliar place, but the old man's voice grabbed his attention.

"How did you end up here?" Silence. "Ah, you can't talk yet, can you?" He decided to try with the robot. "Where are his parents?"

Data shook his head.

"Huh? His parents are missing too?"

It was more complicated than that, but Data decided to leave it as a "yes" and nodded.

"So you don't have anywhere to go?"

Data confirmed.

The man thought for a moment, occasionally murmuring things like "What should I do now? I can't just leave them here..." He turned to them again after some deliberation. "In that case... You could stay with me. I have a granddaughter. I'm sure she'd love the company."

Data's eyes sparkled with joy. It was the perfect opportunity for Trigger to carry on with his recovery. Could this be their lucky day?

"My name is Barrell. Barrell Caskett." The man introduced himself. "Do you have a name?"

Data tried to speak, but Barrell didn't understand, reminding him that only Trigger could understand him. He changed tactics and began jumping and gesturing as if writing in the air. He had to repeat that a few times until the man realized what he was doing. He spelt "D A T A".

"Data, is it?"

The monkey jumped happily. It was nice to know that they could communicate in some way.

"What about the boy? What's his name?"

Data thought of spelling "Trigger," but he remembered that they were supposed to be hiding from Geetz and Sera. It would be better for the boy to be called something else.

"He has a name, doesn't he?" Barrell asked again, since the answer was taking too long to come.

Data almost shook his head so that the man would choose a new name, but then he realized that he also would have to call the boy something else if the name changed... Or not. Yes, there was a way. His secret codename for the Purifier was going to be more useful now than he'd ever imagined. Data made his decision and spelt "R O C K".

"Ro... Rock? Is his name Rock?"

Data confirmed.

"Rock! Hey, that's perfect!" Barrell seemed very excited, as though he had found the answer to a riddle. "My granddaughter is called Roll. Meaning that both of them together will make 'Rock n' Roll'! Hahahaha!"

Data laughed too. He was glad to have the name accepted.

Barrell carried them out of the ruins and to the Flutter. After giving them some food and putting Rock to sleep, he left to buy proper clothes for the boy.

By the end of the day, a friend of Barrell's came to the Flutter bringing Roll. She had stayed with the girl while Barrell went on his dig. She handed Roll back and left.

"Roll, we have two new friends." Barrell pulled her by the hand. "This is Data. And this is Rock."

The nearly three year old girl looked at them curiously. Data began dancing, making her giggle. That also woke Rock up.

"Rock, this is Roll, my granddaughter." Barrell introduced.

"Rock..." Roll slowly approached, extending her hand to touch him. He held her hand and smiled. She smiled back. "Gramps, where his parents?"

"They're missing too."

"Like Roll?"

"Yes, just like you." Barrell answered. "So, he'll stay with us. From today, he'll be your little brother."

"Little brother?" Roll's eyes were filled with joy. She hugged Rock and laughed. He laughed too.

* * *

A few days passed.

"Rock, come on!" Roll called. "No, not like this." She shook her head when he began toddling. "Walk! Stand up." She went to his side and helped him up.

Roll kept trying to help him to stand on his feet. He fell many times, until he started crying and gave up. At that point, no one could get him to try again until the next day.

One month later, Rock managed to take a few steps without falling.

"Come on Rock, you can do it!" Roll cheered while she waited for him.

One step... Another... Another... So close... And Roll took two steps back, increasing the distance between them. That left the boy really frustrated and he almost gave up on the spot.

"Rock, what's wrong? I'm here! Just a bit more."

He made a face, refusing to move. His legs trembled, looking like they would give way at any moment.

"Oh come on! Won't step back again. Promise."

No reaction.

"Go! Go! Go Rock! You can do much better than that!" Data cheered.

"You can do it!" Roll smiled encouragingly.

Rock finally decided to move. One step... Another... Another... Another... When he was close enough, Roll stretched her arms and enveloped him in an embrace.

"Yeeeaaaah!" Roll grinned from ear to ear. "I knew you could do it!"

But then Rock lost his balance and both of them collapsed.

* * *

At first, Roll was sad because of her missing parents, but the more she focused away from that and concentrated on helping Rock, the more often smiles made their way into her face.

Data watched as the years passed and the children grew up. He played frequently with Rock throughout the boy's childhood, but it really was different. Of course Data liked Rock as he was now, but sometimes he missed Trigger's contagious cheerfulness.

"... Delete that." Data recalled Trigger's painful words.

"Huh? But then you won't be able to remember the times we played together! I don't want you to forget that!"

"I'm sorry."

Deep down, every time they played, Data held onto a small fragment of hope that the impossible would happen and Rock would remember something from the time they played at the Master's house... That he would recover some of the memories they didn't have a backup of... But it never happened.

X:X:X:X:X

"Data!" Roll's voice startled him and brought him back to the present.

"Aaaah! What? ... Roll! Rock!" He was relieved to see that they were alright.

"Data!" Rock spoke. "We almost turned the Sulphur-Bottom upside down looking for you! Don't tell me you've been here the whole time..."

Data nodded.

"I can't believe this..." Roll threw her arms to the side.

"Um, you see..." The monkey robot tried to come up with an excuse. "I ate a lot and got sleepy! But it was... Uh... So noisy there... So..."

"Hmm." Rock didn't look convinced.

Data continued. "A-actually, that's what you two should be doing too! It's time for children to be in bed! ... Oh wait, you're still wearing the party clothes! These look nice on you, but you should give them back, you know!"

"What?" Roll turned to Rock for a translation.

"He says he wants to sleep, and that we should sleep too. Well, he's right. We'll be heading to the next key ruins tomorrow, so we need to be rested. Let's give the party clothes back and go to sleep."

"Ah! The clothes!" Roll gasped. "I completely forgot about that!"

* * *

X:X:X:X:X

That night, Rock had a weird dream. He was in complete darkness, unable to move. In fact, he couldn't even feel his body. Suddenly, he began hearing voices.

X:X:X

First Class Purifier Unit, Rockman Trigger. Shell restoration status: 70%.

Time elapsed since restoration start: 14 years, 4 months

Time remaining until restoration completion: 6 years, 5 months

Entering program reconfiguration stage...

Searching for configuration files... ... ... None found.

Hidden file detected... ... ... Configuration file "MASTER FILE 01" found. Encrypted file. Decrypting... ... ... Analyzing... ... ...

MASTER FILE 01

X:X:X

"Hello. Do you know who I am?"

Rock was unsure. Was he supposed to answer? That voice was familiar somehow... He tried to speak, but nothing came out.

The voice continued. "No, you probably don't. You still weren't given any data about me. That is because, instead of having the Programmer Units do the default info dump into your database, I chose to fill you in the details myself."

Rock was utterly confused. _Programmer Units? Info dump? Database? What... What's he talking about?_

"Well then. Allow me to introduce myself. I am your creator. But above all, I wish to be your friend. I no longer have a name, as it was lost throughout all these years. Instead, now everyone just refers to me as 'Master'. I am a human. Sadly though, I am the only one remaining. My race was completely eradicated, wiped away by an old and outrageous computer system, that we now call the 'Elder System.' I was able to escape to a colony in space, along with a few other humans. It was our only hope, the place where we were free from that dreaded computer program. It was our paradise, which we decided to call 'Elysium.' I built my own computer system that would create a suitable environment on Elysium, and also hold off the Elder System on Terra. This is now called the 'Master System'. For many years, my friends lived here on Elysium with me, helping me to run the System. When we concluded that the situation on Terra was under control, they went back there to take a closer look. I stayed behind to monitor the System, and it was a good thing I did so, I guess. We had not predicted what would come next. We got too used to Elysium's environment, and we were no longer able to withstand the conditions on Terra. My friends all died, making me the only human remaining..."

END OF FILE

X:X:X:X:X

Rock woke up. He began trying to make sense of that strange dream, but them his alarm clock beeped, reminding him that the day reserved a new adventure for him. The dream was pushed to the back of his mind, giving place to more important matters. He would drop by the Sulphur-Bottom one more time, and then they would be off.

* * *

X:X:X:X:X

*Tap tap tap*

Sera knew she was dreaming. But why did it had to be about that event? It was the most painful day of her entire life. First because of the loss of the Master, then because the battle against Trigger. That Purifier had gone too far. His apparent friendliness towards others... Could it have been just a ploy, a façade to make everyone underestimate him? At that moment, Sera was convinced that this was the case. The climax had to happen right when they were "conveniently" at a shortage of Purifiers, too. He had gotten close to the other categories' Units just so they would help him, then he went and killed the Master! That was unforgivable! And after all that, he still insisted on making small talk and smiling at her mockingly. She couldn't stand it. Trigger was clearly an Irregular, and needed to be terminated. He should have been terminated a long time ago, before it even had a chance to come to that. Geetz was down. Yuna was reluctant to give her the keys, saying that they should talk to Trigger and try to understand what was going on. But Trigger was an Irregular. Sera had no reason to talk to him! Then what? She was alone. It was up to her to protect the System. She was the only one that could do it. Sera was consumed by rage and fought with all her might. It was a hard battle. She couldn't use her full power while outside of Elysium. But in the end, she managed to do it. She dealt the final blow and made him shut his mouth at last. However, he was no average opponent. He proved to be very strong. In the end, her armor was next to useless and her body was seriously damaged as well. Her consciousness didn't hold up and she passed out. That was the setting of her dream. She was lying on the ground with pieces of her shattered battle armor scattered all over her body and the ground around her. Her entire body ached intensely and she didn't dare to move.

*Tap tap tap*

_What?_ Sera thought as she felt soft small hands gently tapping on her head.

*Tap tap*

As painful as it was, she half opened an eye to see what was happening. What she saw made no sense whatsoever. A Carbon baby was kneeling next to her, precariously draped in a piece of cloth. At first he looked at her worriedly, then smiled in relief noticing that she had awoken. Something was familiar about those vivid green eyes, but she couldn't place it. The only thing she was sure of was that they were crystal clear like a river with pure waters, and had no hidden intents or purposes. What he showed towards her was care, pure and unconditional. That succeeded in soothing her and easing her pain a bit. It still made no sense, though. That pure and innocent figure was so out of place in the middle of that much destruction. Where had that Carbon baby come from? And why was he the only one there to give her comfort? Those questions went unanswered because unconsciousness took her away once more, leaving her to wonder if it had been just a dream or if it had really happened.

X:X:X:X:X

"Ah!" Sera jumped awake at the sound of a knock on the door.

"Mistress Sera?" Geetz looked at her.

"It was nothing." She quickly recomposed herself.

Geetz glanced at the door, then back at her, awaiting her decision. She nodded and the Servitor let the person in.

"Good morning." It was Rock. He was wearing casual clothing like he had on the other day. "I just came to say that I'm heading off to the ruins with the next key. Rumors are that the island is being attacked by pirates, so it may take a while if I run into them. Huh?" He noticed something wrong with Sera. "Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"I-it is fine. I was having a strange dream anyway," She said, rather calmly for someone who tended to strongly dislike having her sleep interrupted.

That action surprised Geetz.

"Are you okay?" Rock took a step forward, looking at her in concern.

"... Y-yes." She answered, transfixed by his green eyes.

He wasn't quite convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." She spoke more firmly this time.

He still insisted. "If there's something I can do..."

"Yes, there is." She interrupted him. "Stop worrying about insignificant details. Only focus on what you have to do and nothing else."

He considered her words. "... Hmm, haven't you said something like that before?"

Sera didn't recall ever saying such a thing to him. "It does not matter. Anyway, this is the kind of thing you should stop worrying about."

"Okay, okay. I'm leaving. I'll come back as fast as I can." He gave her a familiar smile, then left saying an even more familiar "Then, see you later!"

Back alone with Geetz, Sera couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. More specifically, that look of worry Rock had given her. It was exactly the same way as the baby from the dream had regarded her. Who was that baby? What was he doing there? Was it all just a dream, or was it real? Sera shook her head, deciding to dismiss that thought, as those were the kind of details she shouldn't be worrying about.

* * *

"I'm going." Rock walked past Gramps, who was alone in the room.

"Wait, Rock." Barrell put a hand on the boy's shoulder and stopped him. "There's something I wanted to tell you." He pulled a chair and motioned towards it. "Please, sit down."

Rock did as asked, a bit scared by the seriousness in Barrell's face.

"I knew this moment would come. The moment for me to tell you this... Well, it's about you. About how I met you. I always said that I had found you as a baby, but I never told you where." The man breathed deeply, then continued. "The ruins with the next key... The Nino Ruins..." Another pause. "It's actually the place where I found you, Rock."

Rock's mouth was agape. He had thought the island's name was familiar somehow. Now that Gramps mentioned it, he remembered. It was actually the place indicated in Barrell's notes about his discovery!

Barrell continued. "The ruins are usually closed. I don't know why they were open that time. I only know that I couldn't resist and entered, not wanting to waste the opportunity. In one of the rooms near the entrance, I found a crystal. It melted when I touched it, and you and Data were inside. I decided I couldn't just leave you two there and took you home. I even checked the ruins again later, and they were already closed. It was strange, but it couldn't have been a dream because you were with me."

Rock didn't know what to say.

"Rock. I have no idea as to how you ended up there. But since you are going to those ruins, you could take a look for yourself. Maybe you'll find something interesting... Some hint about your true parents, who knows? Maybe they were also Diggers and got separated from you inside the ruins or something..."

They stayed silent for a bit, until Rock finally spoke. "Um, Gramps? Thank you for taking me in. I'm very happy to be part of your family."

"We're really happy to have you with us, Rock. You always brought us many joys. You know? At the time I found you, Roll was very sad because her parents disappeared. It was hard to get her focus away from that. She cried a lot. I didn't know what else to do. Then you came, and she began doing whatever she could to help you. That's what brought back her confidence and her smiles. And look at you now. All grown up, and a very skilled Digger. You explored Forbidden Island, a mission that Bluecher and I and many other veteran Diggers have failed. And right now, you're collecting the keys to unlock the greatest treasure in History! I'm really proud of you, Rock!" Barrell patted Rock on the back. "Well, speaking of which, you have another key to collect. I shouldn't be delaying you too much, right?"

Rock stood up, nodding with determination. "Gramps, once more, thank you. I'll be going now."

"Please be careful."

Rock nodded again and left.

He met Roll in the Flutter, inside the engine room. _Roll,_ he thought, recalling his talk with Gramps. Roll had helped him for as long as he could remember, and still did tirelessly to this day.

"Ready, Rock?" She asked energetically.

"Yeah!" He nodded, with confidence showing in his face.

"Then, here we go!" She started the engines and the Flutter took off.

* * *

It was a chaotic day for Rock. He had to protect Nino Island from a pirate named Glyde and his gang of Birdbots. The pirate retreated, likely going to a base in Calbania Island. The Guildmaster promised to give him access to the ruins if he went to the base and stopped the pirates, so that was what he had to do. Once he reached Calbania Island, he infiltrated Glyde's base with help of the twins Appo and Dah, whose sister Shu had been captured by the pirates. Rock defeated many Birdbots, rescued the girl, and escaped the base which the enemy had set to self-destruct. Back at Nino, he had a run in with the boss pirate himself, having to fight and buy time while Roll fixed the island's special weapon, and that sent Glyde away. After that, the Guildmaster kept his promise and let Rock enter the ruins. Rock was very tired, so he got a good night of rest and only went to his dig on the next day.

The ruins were full of puzzles and controls that filled the rooms with water and limited Rock's movements. After what seemed like hours destroying Reaverbots and struggling with the water filling controls, he finally found the second key. He took it and made his way back. However, right at the entrance, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to steal the key from him, was a man named Klaymoor, the partner of the guy called Bola who fought him for the first key in the previous dungeon. They fought. Rock won, and that tiresome dig was finally over. Rock breathed deeply and gave a deep sigh as he grasped the second key in his hand.

"Rock, you did it!" Roll said excitedly through the radio.

"Yeah, finally... Now I just need to get out of here... Huh?" He was about to leave through the entrance door when something on the farthest wall caught his attention.

"Rock, where are you going?" Roll asked, confused.

He stopped in front of the wall. "Roll, are you getting any readings from this wall?"

"No. It's a dead end."

"Hmm. Ah!" When Rock touched the surface, it split in two and opened like an automatic door. It was totally unexpected and he almost stumbled to the other side.

"Wow, it was a door!" Roll was also shocked. "My radars didn't p...ck an...ing! Rock? Rock? C...n y... ...r me? I'm ...osing ...ignal! Rock! R...ck! ..." The radio went silent.

"Roll!" Rock called. No response.

Rock took a look at his surroundings. He stepped forward cautiously, with his Buster at the ready in case a Reaverbot decided to attack. It was in spacious rooms like those that bigger "boss" Reaverbots tended to appear, so it wouldn't have been surprising if he had to fight one there. He advanced slowly... And what really surprised him was that... Nothing happened. "Huh? What's this?" He noticed something laying on the ground and crouched to inspect it. "Paper?" It was a folded piece of paper. What was something like that doing inside those ancient ruins? It didn't look old, so maybe it was a note from one of the Diggers who had entered there recently? Rock had the feeling that he was getting into something he shouldn't, but in the end he unfolded the paper. A gentle click sounded when something fell from inside the fold. It was a broken chain necklace. "Huh...? A necklace? What... Ah!" Rock's eyes widened when he looked at the paper again. It indeed seemed like a note, or maybe a letter. Only, it was in ancient writing, and just like that time in Kattelox, he was able to read it. Rock thought of stopping himself, but before he could, he was already reading.

"Hello.

It's been a long time, huh? It looks like destiny is dragging you deep already. You are at the second one, am I right? Whatever path you choose, you certainly will need those keys, so go ahead. I won't stop you. If you prove to be able to get past security and collect them all, then hopefully it means that you are prepared for anything. Well, there's not much that I can do now, so I wish you good luck.

Kindly,

Yuna"

Rock was intrigued. It looked as if that message was meant for him, even mentioning the keys and the fact that he was there for the second one. However, the letter wasn't over yet.

"PS: I don't know if you remember, but that necklace is yours. It's broken, but it's yours. I figured it was a good time to give it back.

PPS: I can't wait to meet you in person, to see how much you have changed! From the way things are, I feel that our paths might be crossing again soon. So, Trigger, see you around!"

Rock's eyes widened. He dropped the letter as soon as he saw that name on the last paragraph. **Trigger**. That message was meant for Trigger, not for him... Unless, like Juno, that person also thought he was Trigger. "This can't be right. This is a mistake..." He murmured to himself. There was no way that he could be this "Trigger." His name was Rock Volnutt. He was with Gramps and Roll for as far back as he could remember. His life had started like anyone else's, as a baby. Gramps found him, and... "No..." He whispered as he recalled the talk with Gramps.

"The ruins with the next key... The Nino Ruins... It's actually the place where I found you, Rock. ... In one of the rooms near the entrance, I found a crystal. It melted when I touched it, and you and Data were inside. ... I have no idea as to how you ended up there. But since you are going to those ruins, you could take a look for yourself. Maybe you'll find something interesting..."

"No!" Rock threw the paper far away. "I'm not Trigger. I'm Rock. Just... Rock..." He was trembling. His voice got weaker with each word he spoke. He retrieved the chain necklace from the ground, ready to throw it as well, but he didn't get to do it. Holding that necklace felt surreal. There was something familiar about it. A special meaning. A secret mission. Something from long, long ago... "No..." His voice kept failing, and he was unable to stop the tears that formed and rolled down his face. He stayed there until the tears stopped, then headed back, unconsciously pocketing the chain necklace.

As soon as he came out of the room, his radio's signal was back.

"Rock! ... Rock!"

"R-Roll?"

"Rock! Thank goodness..." Roll sighed in relief. "What happened in there?"

"I... I don't know. I think there's no signal in there."

"Huh? ... No, I mean, what did you find there?"

"Ah... The room was big. I inspected it. No Reaverbots or anything. I just found... A broken chain necklace. That's all." He had never told anyone that he could read the ancient writing. He didn't want to believe it himself and refused to give any detail, even to Roll.

"Hm? Strange. Maybe it was lost by some Digger that ventured there before?" Roll theorized.

A snippet from the letter involuntarily appeared in his mind. "I don't know if you remember, but that necklace is yours." And he felt like crying again.

"Rock, are you alright?" Roll asked worriedly.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." He answered as firmly as he could. "I'm just tired. Really tired... Can't wait to be back in the Flutter to take a good rest."

Roll was completely unaware of the turmoil in his mind, so his explanation was enough to convince her.

* * *

It was nighttime when Rock arrived back in the Flutter. He took a shower, had dinner to recharge his energy and threw himself on the bed. He wanted to sleep and forget everything about that strange room, or maybe wake up and find out it was just a dream. Luckily, that night, he had a very happy dream where he ran and laughed, playing with Data in a beautiful garden at the back of a big house. Whoever entered his room would see that he slept peacefully, and had a wide smile on his face.

* * *

A/n: at the end of the first game, Data says he was created by Trigger to hide the memories from Mother Two, but not much more info... In this story, Trigger had a hand in it, but who did all the heavy work was the Master :P .

About Rock and Roll's age. Everywhere I read states that they're the same age. But in the beginning of the game, Roll says she remembered her mother telling her that a Digger never gives up. For her to remember a conversation like that, she had to be already "conscious" enough, meaning, not a baby. She should be at least two or three years old. Rock was said to have been found as a baby, so for him to be the same age as her, he should already have been with Barrell and Roll when Matilda disappeared (which I think he was not). So, in this fic, Roll is a bit (almost two years) older than him.

The part about the reset is probably the most serious scene with Trigger until now.

I think it's a pity that the bit about Rock's discovery isn't expanded anywhere. It's talked about only in Barrell's notes, even then you can play the whole game without ever reading them, missing it completely. At most, there's a very short mention of Barrell's reaction when he found them, if talking to Data on Elysium (I think it's missable too, if you don't ask Data). No one else ever talks about it, Rock doesn't react to it, and there's no indication of anything in Nino ruins either... It's like it's only for the player to know, not mattering to any of the characters at all (including Rock, even though he seemed so troubled at the end of the first game because of the mystery of his origins).

For this story, I'm considering that on Elysium, Trigger had the appearance of a young adult, nearly 22 years old by human terms. After his battle in Terra, his body was reset to a one year old toddler. So, considering the time, at around 15 years old (14 years later), his body would be more or less 70% "restored" to the way it was before, with 5 years and a few months to go until he turns 22.

Also, Yuna is so fun to write. ;)


End file.
